Clouds Father Remixed
by Sariph21
Summary: Liza wants a little payback for her sisters death, to bad no one told a certain Turk.
1. New Start

Clouds Father

President Reeve (no one else above him left alive) was going through some of the more classified files that had been kept in one of the safes in the former Presidential office on his "day off". Many of the safes and files in the Shinra Tower had been lost after Diamond Weapon and Meteor. Only recently were some of these records discovered through restoration and recovery. This lead to a group of damaged disks that were now taking up all of his spare time: Mt. Nibel, Nibelheim, and Revaluation. As with all things, there was a problem. Even with all his skills at deciphering even the most damaged of disks, he wasn't able to get all of the information from them. Reeve was only able to recover about 40 from Mt. Nibel and 34 from Nibelheim. Revaluation was the worst, only a handful of completed pages were recovered from that disk, the rest was no more than random incomplete lines and code. What first got his attention about these disks were the dates. The earliest was before the Nibel reactor first came into operation and the latest was three weeks after the fire. With all the other current jobs that had to be done, this would normally have been put aside to fix on a later date if it were not for one name that had been listed in the roster for Mt. Nibel: Seifer Almasy Strife.

"I don't think I'll be able to get much more information from them. I hope this helps him put some of his questions about his past to rest after he sees this." Reeve

He picks up a PHS and calls Cid.

"Rude, you still owe me 50 gil." Cid

"Nice to hear from you to Cid." Reeve

"Sorry Reeve, the id said it was from the Turks. What's up?" Cid

"No problem, I'm using their computers to fix a few disks without the usual staff member disturbing me. As to what's up, I wanted to know if Cloud and Tifa are still helping you with the leftover mako monsters from the reactor leak last month?" Reeve

"Yeah they're still around. So why the hell did you call me for if you needed them?" Cid

"Three reasons, one how bad are the monsters out there now?" Reeve

"Not too bad right now. We took care of most of them, and that fucking leak was fixed so no more of them are forming. We should have the last of them out by the end of next week." Cid

"Good, on to reason number two. When this is over, would it be possible for you to bring: Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, and yourself over here?" Reeve

"I can see the three of us getting there alright, but I do have two problems. One getting Vincent to leave the deconstruction site of the mention. Two who's going to keep an eye out for any of those fuckers we might have missed." Cid

"The monsters are not a problem; I will leave the Turks there to keep an eye on things. Vincent will also not be a problem for you when you go to pick him up." Reeve

"Turks over here I can see, but how are you going to get coffin breath out of his hole." Cid

"The easiest way, tell him the truth. I found a few interesting files that concern three of you slightly and one of you greatly." Reeve

"Who?" Cid

"Don't worry you are not the one, but I'm not saying who it is till then. The information is sensitive, I would rather they not hear about it over the phs. Reeve

"Alright, so what's the last thing?" Cid

"Could you bring a box or two of those Coco Koko cookies with you when you come over here?" Reeve

"HAHAHAHA, alright I'll get you some of those things." Cid.

"Thanks, and see you later." Reeve

"Bye." Cid

"Well that's one down, now on to Vincent." Reeve as he starts to call Vincent.

"Yes."Vincent

"Hello Vincent, do you have a moment to talk?" Reeve

"Yes." Vincent

"Cid is going to be coming over next week to get you. I need you over here to help out with some information involving Clouds past. You are the only person I know that has any real working knowledge of Shinras past during the time that some of this took place. I know you don't want to leave the site till it all goes down but it would be VERY helpful if you came to help with some of the questions that will come up." Reeve

"This wouldn't have anything to do with one Seifer Almasy Strife would it." Vincent

"How?" Reeve

"Yesterday, when one of the walls came down, there was a small safe that had a file called Revaluation in it. Who knew Cloud might be half Ancient." Vincent

"You have the complete file!? I was only able to get a fraction of it from a damaged disk over here. Was there any other information other then he might be half Ancient in there?" Reeve

"Just a few theories and some witnessed accounts of him doing some things that he should not have been able to do so far. Honestly I have yet to complete the file myself, though it seems I have the same intentions as you, information first answers for Cloud second." Vincent

"True, I don't want to have him getting something only to find out I gave him the wrong information later. So will you come and keep me updated with whatever you find in there?" Reeve

"Yes on one condition, tell me how long have you known about this." Vincent

"A little over two weeks ago, I had finally gotten partway through recovering some information on some classified disks. With everything that is going on over here, and with the disks being as damaged as they were I didn't have much time other then what little I could get on my "day off" to work on what data I could get." Reeve

"Very well, I will contact you each day with what I get from this. We will go from there on how to deal with Cloud when we all get to the Plaza." Vincent

"Thanks Vincent, I will use whatever means I can to recheck anything on there till then. I'll hear from you tomorrow then so you can get back on that." Reeve

"Till then." Vincent

Well here looked like a good place to stop. I was so surprised when this got a review for this story that I figured what the hell write some more. Only problem was that it had been so long (near 2 years) that I had done this that I just went yuck looking at it. So I figured I would try to clean it a little and repost that and work from there. If you liked the old one and want it back I'll put it back if not well lets start from here and move on then. As always love to hear feedback and will answer if I can, till next time then.

Disclamer: I own nothing involving any of these fine copyrighted fictional people. True I may stick in the occasional OC just for kicks, but they are up for grabs if you want to use them in your fics. Well enjoy.


	2. Seifers Side

Friday morning, several years before the previous chapter in the small town of Nibelheim.

"Iris, I'm off to work. Is their anything you want me to get when I come back?" Man in a black and red leather trench coat.

"No Seifer, just come back without something missing for once is all I ask." Iris (I didn't see a name other then mom used when Cloud was having a flash back on the first disk. So for this story Clouds mothers first name is Iris.)

"You ask that everyday I go to work love, but I'll try to come back whole." Seifer

"I know, I just worry about you that's all." Iris

"Like I said, don't worry about it. All limbs will be attached when I get back, though I don't know about my fingers and toes." Kiss," Seeya." Seifer with a small grin plastered onto his face.

Just as he is about to exit the door a sleepy four year old boy walks into the room holding a worn out yellow blanket.

"Papa going out?" Boy

"Yes Cloud, I have to go to work." Ruffles his sons messy hair. "Do you want me to get you anything?" Seifer

"Sparky rocks." Cloud

"You and material, I swear you're obsessed with it. Oh alright, if I find any I'll show it to you ok?" Seifer

"Only show?" Cloud, giving a puppy dog look that was asking for more then just a show.

"Yes show, you are still too young to use it without risk. I just don't want to see you get hurt or worse ok?" As Seifer remembers the last time he let Cloud use material. Never again would he let his son near an Ice material and his wife's flower garden in the backyard. He was only to freeze a rose, not the whole garden.

"Awww alright, but when will I be big enough ta tri it again?" Cloud

"When you can get to the plates on the top shelf without using a chair." Seifer as he hugs his son. "Bye little one." Seifer

Later on Mt. Nibel, near what looks like a small open pen.

"Hey Remmy, feel like getting a little action with me today?" Seifer

"Grrrr, huff." As the male behemoth started to come up to him.

"So you are coming after all. Wait, you get into a fight without me?" Seifer as he sees a small but nasty gash in Remmys nose and starts to look it over.

"HISSSSSS!" Remmy, as Seifer touches the gash.

"Damn, it's infected to." Pulls out a high-potion and an antidote and starts to clean the wound. "I don't know who gets into more trouble you or Cloud, Cure 2." as he finishes off cleaning the wound.

"Snuff." Remmy

"Yeah, you're right. I don't think it's possible for anyone to get into some of the situations he has gotten himself into." Seifer as he starts down one of the side mountain trails with Remmy close behind.

Five years ago Seifer found him just outside of Midgar half dead in a trap. Normally he would have just let things of taken their course, or even speed the process up. Why make something suffer, just put it down and be done with it. Just as he was about to kill him he heard some men coming up and ducked back behind one of the rock outcrops in the area.

"Who knew it would be this easy to get that bitch if we just left her whelp out in that trap Cro." Greasy brown haired man.

"You said it Mitch, that had to be one of the easiest kills we ever had. Get the things spawn when the fucker is out hunting and leave it as bait for a trap. So, what are we going to do now with it Cro?" Mitch

"I say we sell it to Shinra, the science department is always looking for something new to play with." Cro

"Don't you mean Hojo is always looking for something new to play with." Mitch

"Ha-Ha, to true lets go get us our little bonus." Cro

"Confu All" Seifer, as he goes up and renders the two hunters unconscious. "Morons like you are the reason hunters have a bad name." Looks down at the whelp in the trap." Now what am I going to do with you? The only reason I stopped them was that crack about selling you to Hojo, no one deserves that."

"Ra-eeeppp" Whelp

"Damn, I guess you're coming with me till I figure out something. Now, what to call you? I know, how about Remmy." Seifer

"HHHIIIIISSSSS!" Remmy as he breaks Seifer from his daydream.

"What the hell, three dragons. Oh yeah, it's mating season those two must be after that girl over there. Crap, I should have realized Remmy wouldn't be able to smell them out as well with his nose full of antidote. Well here we go." Seifer as he takes out his sword.

Just as he is about to take his first strike there was a huge blinding flash. When it was over all five of them were gone.

Thank you Mike Chere and Whatevergirl for the kind words of encouragement, they mean a lot to me. Terra I hope this answers your question on who Clouds mother is. As always I love to hear from you all, and I am always happy to answer questions. Till next time.

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	3. Back to Vincent and Reeve

Sorry about the long overdue wait on this chapter. Many things including: exams, work, being hit by a truck when on a bike, legal bs following that, pink eye in both eyes, and many more "fun" things have kept me from working on this. The only positive thing that is going for me now is that it is the winter break. Go not having classes, well on with the story and thanks Imperial Panda I got your review just before I started to edit this chapter.

Time: day after chapter one

BEEP, BEEP, BE: "Hel" Reeve

"The file seems to be in several parts. Part one is on his background; part two is on his current location and doings. Part three is on who he associates with friendsfamily and as such; part four is what his co-workers and the random person has seen him do that wasn't in the norm. Part five is mostly theories on whom or what he is; finishing the report with part six is future thoughts and theories. The only part that I have gone through with some detail is part one.

There is no known record of the name Seifer Almasy prior to his appearance in Wutai just under five years prior to his marriage to one Iris Strife in Nibelheim at the age of 25. Vincent

"What? Nothing, how? I know records in some of the smaller towns around that time weren't the best so he might have slipped through some of the records, but how can some one go that long without coming up by word or through other means?" Reeve

"That is the main question in here by Hojo, and is becoming one of my own as of reading this. Even when Shinra wants you gone they will still leave some information for their own records, but with him nothing till he was around 21. That is something even I have a hard time trying to figure out. "Vincent

"You said the first records of him were in Wutai." Reeve

"Yes, one Hang Po brought him there to study under him. By trade Po was a monster slayer and blade master of the old master class system." Vincent

"Master class?" Reeve

"It is a very old job class style of trade in Wutai. You would be tested as a child, and what skills you were found to be the best at or showed the most talent in you would lean under a master till you yourself had mastered it. Most people, even in that time, had given it up on it due to changing times, and had moved onto a more formalized education first and job class second. Hang though was something of a traditionalist and said that he had taken Seifer under his wing to pass on his skills the old way as best he could. " Vincent

"So how far did he get before he married Iris?" Reeve

"He was a three stone master in both job classes before he left." Vincent

"Three stone master?" Reeve

"Each job is put into four levels, though depending on the job the names could change, for his they were: training, student, fighter, and master. Seifer had made it to fighter in both of those classes in only two years. Normally it takes the average person ten years to get to fighter in even just one of the two job class. To make it in two and in only two years is next to unheard of if not imposable by most standards. It was because of this that he was given one of the highest class names you could receive in either of those jobs, Death. On his graduation into his training on becoming a master in both Po gave him the name Death Almasy and promptly kicked him out of Wutai." Vincent

"Kicked him out, but why would you kick someone out if he was your student? I know, I know next to nothing of this form of training, and what you have just told to me is very new to me. So forgive me if I just can't see the logic in that Vincent." Reeve

"It's alright, I didn't know much of this till I read the files last night myself. It seems to get the master you have to study around the world for three years and return to take on your master. If you defeat them then you become your own master, lose and you have to start all over again. There are other ways that you can gain master with out going through this. And one of them applied to him." Vincent

"What are the other ways, and witch one did he fall under?" Reeve

"One is to find and beat another master while you are out and to bring back proof of this. The second is to win a war. The last and way was for the master to die and there be no other master left to fill the spot. Seifer was granted master by this means about two and a half years into his training for master Hang Po died of a stroke. After the funeral he would only visit for a day or two at most before going off again." Vincent

"He must have meant a lot to him to get him to never visit the place that much." Reeve

"It was that and the fact that he wasn't the most welcome person in the village." Vincent

"What?" Reeve

"Think about it, if some stranger came to your town and became one of the best killers that had ever been recorded in as little of time as it took him, would you want him to stick around. Most only tolerated him because of Po, but after his death the majority of the people were just hostile to him. They were, to put it mildly, afraid of him and wanted him gone. They did everything that they could to make him want to leave just shy of physically attacking him. People wouldn't serve him at the taverns, prices went up just for him and anyone that even talked to him outside of sneering was ostracized till they themselves left him alone. It was because of that that he moved out for keeps and was not heard of till his record of marriage and name change to Seifer Almasy Strife." Vincent

This place looked as good to me as any place to stop. Oh, I know Vincent seemed a bit wordy in this chapter, but there is a reason to this, he has the file and Reeve doesn't. I will be switching back and forth between the Reeve/Vincent chapters to the other shots of what is going on and how this all ties into the where is Seifer now and how did he get there theme. Till next time and as always I love to hear from you.

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	4. Irvine and Zell

Well here is the next chapter for you all, I also broke my personal best and put out two chapters in as many days. What can I say, my muse smacked me something fierce with this chapter. Gin, to be honest, I still find it surprising that people remember this story from back in the day and thanks for the kind words.

Irvine and Zell

Location: Winhill

Time: one and a half years after FF8

"Where do these things keep coming from?" Crunch as Zells fist emerges from the rib cage of what looked like some big blue mutated land bird. "It's like we take down one and seven more pop up." Zell side stepping another one.

"You think I know any better then you." Bam, Cock, Bam, as two more of those bird go down. "I'm still having a hard time that our best information on these things, and all the other weird monster that have popped up, is from Fujin and Raijin." Irvine as he reloads his shotgun.

"Well these things did pop up on the bridge first before spreading out on all the continents. I still say the only reason that Squall put them in charge was that they also lost Seifer to the same way we lost Rinoa. You know how single minded they can be when they want their friend back." Zell as they fall back into fighting once more with both looking back on the events of the last month.

One month ago the mutated monsters started to show up. The only thing that was known about the monster is that there was a small energy wake just before they came. They didn't even know that, at first, if it wasn't for Fujin and Raijin. Three weeks ago one of the wakes happened near Fishermans Horizon. FH would have fallen if it wasn't for the three exiles that were currently staying there: Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin. After the war and trial they were exiled from all the cities excluding FH, the only reason they didn't receive death was evidence of mind control of the sorceress over Seifer. So they stayed there earning their keep and over some time a place to call home. Regrettably during that attack Seifer was pulled into some kind of flash, later proven to be one of the wakes, as the monsters started to leave. After searching the area for the next several days with no luck of finding him he was presumed MIA.

Two weeks ago Rinoa was also pulled into one of the wakes as she and Squall were fighting off a wave of monsters in Balamb. It was only after this that they began to believe the reports that they were given by Fujin and Raijin on the: monsters, Seifer, and the wakes. One week ago Fujin and Raijin were put in charge of operations concerning the wakes and monsters. Normally most would have protested, but they had full support from Squall. This in itself blew away most people but, as Squall put it, he trusted them. They themselves had also witnessed what these wakes were capable of and he could see that they would do whatever it would take to get their friend back and stop these things. It also didn't hurt that Fujin and Raijin also seemed to be the best at tracking and locating the wakes. This leads to why Zell and Irvine were in Winhill.

In order to deal with the randomness of locations of the wakes SeeD was split up into groups or pairs and put into different cities. Zell and Irvine to Winhill, Fujin and Raijin would stay in FH and use it as a command center. Squall would stay at garden and lead two small groups of seeds, one to protect Balamb and one to help with Garden when needed. Selphie was with Ken Watanabe, a spear user who was also descent with magic, and Kathy Zingraf, twin dagger user and slightly better at magic then Ken, in Dollet. This left Quistis and her team of Tim Waybright, sword master but lacking something of the magic side, and David Owen, polar opposite of Tim average fighter with his staff but madman when it came to spells, in timber. Deling, Shumi Village, Trabia, and Esthar had respectively set up there own operations for dealing with this threat, but did agree to welcome and assist garden if operations caused them to work together.

"HAHAHAHA, for humans you fight well it's a shame you have to go. Thought, if it is any consolation, before your miserable lives go to our cause you will be the first to see the first working Blitz Gate in action on the battle felid." Mysterious voice

"The hell?" Irvine as he looks around for the person behind the voice.

"What the?" Zell trying, like Irvine, to find the persons origin.

Sevral thousand miles away in FH at the former trios home Fujin is heard screaming several profanities at her monster of a computer while Raijin is telling Squll over the phone to get the strongest away team he can get over to Winhill yesterday in only a slightly better tone of words.

What followed next were three sets of flashes. One was a bright green color with several popping sounds, this seemed to be the common form of retreat for the monsters. The following two flashes were new, the first was a small dark purple flash about 20 feet from where they were standing that made no noise. Continuing on the new list were five flashes of a golden color with a small screeching noises following each flash. When the flashes stopped Zell and Irvine could only gape in surprise.

Two large green and slightly damaged dragons, about the size a ruby dragon each, were the first to appear, though they did seem a bit out of it. Next came one that was slightly smaller then the first but, was in perfect shape, like the first two it was a little out of it. The last two flashes produced the biggest surprises: one being a medium sized slightly variant behemoth, the other was the unconscious man. When the monsters came to the first two dragons started to fight each other while the smaller one started to back off a little. This caused the behemoth to growl and start to fight the smaller dragon that was getting closer to the unconscious man. When the behemoth started to fight the smaller dragon the larger two stopped and started to advance on the behemoth.

"Do I even want to know why a monster is trying to protect what looks like a person?" Zell

"Lets ask the man after we take care of the dragons, ok?" Irvine

"Fine by me." Zell

Zell took on the closest dragon witch looked like the older of the two large dragons judging by all of the scars. As he started to punch and kick away at the aged monster Irvine was taking several shots at the other younger looking dragon. When they were done they could see that the behemoth was taking out some of the smaller dragons insides out through a gash in its stomach. When they started to advance on the man the behemoth instantly stopped and started to growl at them till they backed off.

"Any ideas on how to get to the guy over there?" Zell

"Just one but it's risky." Irvine

"What?" Zell

"Did you notice that when we came up to the man that the monster kept looking at our weapons when it blocked us off?" Irvine

"Come to think of it, yeah it did so where are you going with this." Zell

"Zell keep an eye on me ok, and don't rush in till it's life threatening ok?" Irvine

"What?" Zell as he watches Irvine put down his gun and take off his hat and coat.

As Irvine starts to approach the man he puts his hands out in a peaceful manor and locks eyes with the behemoth. As he gets closer to the man the behemoth comes up and sniffs him over and starts to paw at one of his pockets. Irvine starts to empty out the pocket and the monster starts too growl at its contents of several shots of ammo and one knife.

"Irvine." As Zell starts to come forward.

"Zell stop right there and think fast." As Irvine tosses over the items causing the behemoth to stop growling at him.

Zell could only stair in aw at this, never had he seen a monster this smart before that wasn't trying to rip him to shreds. As Irvine finally made it to the man he could see why he was still out of it. There was a gash to the front of his head causing some bleeding when he looked him over for other wounds he found none. As he started to clean the man he took his image in.

Tall with shoulder lenght blond hair except for the two long braids in the back. The longer of the braids was in line with the center of his neck and at the base of his skull size wise it was an inch in diameter. Just above that one was another matching braid but shorter in length. On both braids were varies: beads, ribbons, dyes, and the odd feather put in here and there. The next thing was his black and red leather trench coat. The black was the base color but on the: sleeves starting at the shoulders and going down to the end of the sleeve, ringed around at the elbows, a line that went all the way through the middle of his back from the tip of his trench to the bottom, the last strip was one and a half feet from the bottom that went all around the trench making the back look like an upside-down cross were the parts done in red. The shirt he had on was a heavy navy blue with a white ring going around located in the middle of his stomach.

The pants were black leather but cut in a lose fit stile. The pants were being held up with a leather belt with several rings on it and attached to those rings were several black pouches. The only way you could tell the difference from the pouches was with the different color beads that were on the pull straps holding them shut. There was also a silver colored sheath for his gunblade that was in his right black leather clad hand.

The gunblade was arguably the most interesting stile that he had ever seen. A black semiautomatic pistol handle for the main grip with silver screws connecting all of the parts. He wasn't sure, but it looked like something was engraved into the back of the handle of the gun part. The blade was single sided and was also the same black as the gun part with a serrated cutting edge. Within the blade were six stones linked up in some odd style that he had yet to see. The same thing thought presented itself on his left arm when he moved to hold Irvines hands when he was cleaning off his head wound only do drop his hand later covering it back up. The final peace of his clothing was his steal toed leather boots with the steal showing in silver on the outside.

With the wound now clean and treated he could take in his face better. A strong sharp but aged, late 20's early 30's, face with some stubble showing that he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Three small lines with a tare in his right ear from what looked like an old ear ring hole, his left side had a small hole to confirm this theory. The only other distinguishing thing about him was the barely visible scar that was between his eyes. Heck, he wouldn't of even noticed it if he wasn't so close up to the man.

"Uh." Blink, Blink as the man scrunches up his face slightly.

"Zell, I think he's coming to." Irvine

"Really?" Zell

"Yeah, he's blinking and moaning a bit so he should be up soon." Irvine

Thinking "I had to of smacked my head REAL hard be hearing this." Wences when his left hand moves to go up to his head wound. "Oh yeah, not doing that again." Starts to open his eyes to see two blurry shapes, one is big and purple, Remmy, the other makes him whisper out in shock.

"Irvine?" in an accent that Irvine could place.

"You know me?" Irvine

"It's me Seifer." Seifer

Well now you know where Seifer is, the question now is how dose he get back to his family? As always, read and review and I will get back to you and answer questions that aren't dead give-a-ways to the story.

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	5. Looking Back

Macky: Thanks for being the first to review this story in the FF8 section. I think I'm going to keep it here (FF8 section counterpart only) for a little longer if people want to read it and if not, well you know where to find it if it goes to the wayside.

Shara: I never really thought of this story odd but good, fragmented at first to get things going, but odd but good is new, thanks. The Irvine and Zell question I won't answer do to the fact it will give a few things away, though I'm still scratching my head on how you thought Rufus and Cloud were related. True they both look a lot alike but, Cloud is an only child. Will they meet up, well I plead the fifth.

Tasha: Thanks I try to keep things interesting and new, and it isn't easy with so many good stories out there. All I can really say is that I have a few ideas going that I have yet to read that will be coming up, like with the other MIA from the FF8 side.

Looking Back

Time day after chapter three

"So he left Wutai and got married, but that was a good half a year after Po died. So what did he do during his training time, and where did he meet up with Iris?" Reeve

"They both co inside with each other, during his training he took odd jobs all over the place. He never really stayed in one place for over a week or two at a time. It seemed that he preferred to spend most of his time out and about rather then in just one place for long." Vincent

Flashback

About four months into his master training at a small mining settlement just on the outskirts of the North Corel.

Thinking "Crap, I think they saw me draw." Seifer

He looks over at the three other hunters that were also hired to help take care of the monsters. Normally this wouldn't have bothered him, but he could tell that they were experienced enough to know that that wasn't any normal skill. Sword Master and Monster Slayer in training he may be, which would normally get him out of the spot to most of the new and not as experienced hunters, but no man could naturally draw a spell from a monster and shoot it back at them no matter what they equipped and those three very experienced hunters knew it.

Thinking "Times like this I really have got to remember that I can't let lose with everything on the field. Oh well, at least in this world you get the gill with the monsters and jobs, not just the jobs." As he skips out of town before his pay to avoid the three hunters with questions.

End Flashback

"This changed though at Gongaga Village, about one and a half years into his master training. That was his first meeting with Iris, the woman he would marry a little under two years later. The funny thing about that meeting was that they didn't hit it of at first." Vincent

"What?" Reeve

Flashback

Bar in Costa Del Sol about three weeks before this, you could find Seifer Almasy looking over a paper in the back of the bar checking out potential jobs.

Thinking "To much fuss." Looks to a different add. "Not a snowballs chance in the fire cavern for that one it's too cold on the Gaea Cliffs this time of the year, next."

Half an hour later and one extra hot wings combo later.

"This looks promising." Seifer

Wanted: Hunter to help with recent monster problem, will cover food and lodging while in town. Location: Gongaga Village to contact please call this number and say why you are calling.

Thinking "Food and lodging only listed, so it's probable going to be a small town," pulls out a worn map, "and it's far south from here so there is a pretty good chance that most hunters from around here won't take it, pulse in itself. Oh what the hell why not, it's not like I have anything else going on right now preventing me from doing it." Seifer

End Flashback

"Seifer was originally hired to deal with the monsters that, had of late, been creeping into the village. During one of his watches some monsters slipped into the village while he was on the other side. No one was hurt, but there was some severe property damage to some of the homes when he let some spells lose that were reflected back. One of the homes that were damaged belonged to the Strife family." Vincent

"Ouch, not a good a good way to make a first impression." Reeve

Flashback

Seifers mental check list after the fight

Monsers dead, check.

People not dead, check.

I'm not dead or missing something, check.

One cute blond women coming over to thank me, bonus.

Smacks Seifer across the face.

One pissed blond woman here, SHIT.

"What the hell do you think you doing?" Blond Woman

"Iris what are you thinking? He just saved all of us from theses monsters and you go up and smack him." Man with brown hair

"Take a look around Durk, he did more damage than the monsters that he was hired to takeout." Iris as she points to the damaged homes from some of the spells that were reflected back. "What's the point of getting help that causes more problems then we started off with?" Iris

"But…." Durk

"No, she's right I should have been more careful with my attacks. I will stay and help fix the damages to the homes." Seifer

End Flashback

"No it isn't, but without that little incident I doubt Cloud would be around today." Vincent

"How so?" Reeve

"Well after that he stuck around to take care of the damages and it was during that time that he began to see Iris. Needless to say they fell in love, but put off marriage for his training and just stayed as lovers. After Po died she pulled him out of his slight depression at his masters death and they married soon after that. It would be another eight months with a one month pregnant Iris before they would move out and go to Nibelheim." Vincent

"Wait, I think I have something on that." Looks over to Mt. Nibel roster. "Yes he was hired out to help take care of the monsters while the reactor went up. Afraid to say, that was all I was unable to get about it from over here." Reeve

"Yes, he was hired to take care of the monsters, but what you weren't able to get was that he worked alone or only with a monster that he got four months before Cloud was born." Vincent

"Alone I can see with his training but a monster, how can you get one of those to work with you? Last time I checked that was next to impossible without it being drugged or experimented on." Reeve

"I know, he picked up a baby behemoth after a trip to Midgar and raised it much to his wife's protests at first." Vincent

"At first, what caused the change?" Reeve

"The monster, Remmy, dragged Iris to her doctor when she went into labor with Cloud when Seifer was at work and saved them both. After that she lost all signs of mistrust with the monster and gave no further protests of keeping him. Only when he got to big for the house was he put into an open pen out back and then later to the mountain. " Vincent

Lots of information, but that's what the Reeve and Vincent chapters are for. Well as always read and review and I will get back to you. Till next time and bye.

See first chapter for the disclaimer.


	6. He's Back

Sorry about the lateness of this chapter: school, three collage classes, work, on average 32-34 hours a week, and moving, no computer during the move and for the first week into the new place, have been nothing short of a pain for getting this written. I did have about 1,000 words of this done before the move, but got the day that the computer was going to be disconnected mixed up, and didn't get a chance to save it on disk. So, to make up for that, I'm going to make this chapter a bit on the large size. Thanks for understanding and enjoy the story.

Macky, you're the first on a few things for this story now. The first, now only, to switch from the FF8 to FF cross-over. To review twice, for this version, and get the first thanks back for this chapter. Seriously though, to celebrate all the first I'll give you all a hint on the story. On Planet, that was how I saw the FF7 world called throughout the game, Weapons are the plants protector. On FF8 I didn't see how they came about, less I'm completely blind, so I got to thinking a little what if along the lines of what happens to the Knights who failed in their job. Sorry I know it is one hell of a tease, but to give more would spoil a few things.

Zack M. Strith, thanks for putting me on your favorite stories list. I know I haven't been on many of those, and you doing that was one big confidence kick for me. I will do my best to keep that spot on your list, so enjoy the story. Also since I'm in the give a hit mood, feed back dose that, here is my second hint. A Sorceress can only rest when she passes on her power, so what happens when she can't for a very long time?

He's Back

"Wha?" As a shocked Irvine looks over the Esthar accented Seifer with more then a fare share of disbelief at his words.

"I said it's me, Seifer." Seifer, feeling a little better form the gate. He was starting up on his own now and was beginning to look himself over when Irvine cut back in.

"The hell, you can't be Seifer. You're: too old, have an accent that places you somewhere from Esthar, longer hair that comes down to your shirt with two long braids in back, and last time I checked he didn't have a pet monster." Irvine

"Remmy is not a pet, he's my part…" snaps head up and shouts, "Move!" Seifer as he pushes Irvine out of the way of an oncoming fire assault.

"RHAAAA!" Remmy as he launches at the monster that dared to try and hurt his pack mate. Only to be kicked off and have a triple Stop cast on him.

"I don't know who you are, but nothing human could have come through that gate." Looking at Seifer while drawing her staff.

She was about 5'8 with the build of an ox, with wild long black hair and jagged white horns sticking out of her skull in random places. The skin was a deep blue with black scales showing up in odd patches all over her body. Eyes were also a solid black giving no clue to where she was looking; the only clue to her line of sight was her furry pointed ears that were pointed in his direction. When she gave a slight smile, while sizing him, up you could see her mouth full of razor sharp white pointed teeth. Her only upper body armor was a black sash that was tied around her neck and font that barely keeping her decent. The lower body was only covered by a very torn up pair of blue shorts that had a hole in them for her long black scaly tale. There were no shoes or leg guards of any kind on her, but she didn't need them for they would only hinder the claws on her toes. Tightening her grip on her sliver staff caused the claws on her hands to extend a little as she got into a fighting stance.

Thinking "No armor, so she is more of a speed and evasion for defense rather than physical blows. Better watch out for spells to just to be safe. Remmy may not be strong to Stop, but that says nothing about her abilities in magic." Seifer

"I'm impressed." Seifer draws his gunblade, "Not may could pull off what you just did to my partner." Stands and faces the woman while getting into his own fighting stance. "Zell, Irvine keep an eye on Remmy, the bitch is mine." As Seifer launches into the woman.

She jumps to the left of the assault bring up her staff in a defensive position, and counters with her tail to his right leg. Only instead of hitting leg she gets air, and a fist to the side of her ribs. Reacting on impulse she jumps back out of his range.

"Uh!" Woman as she shakily gets back into a stance.

"Tsk, you're not even worth my time, and here I thought you might be a challenge after what you did to Remmy." Seifer smirking at her.

"Flare times three." As she jumps to the right dismissing her staff and extending her claws readying more spells.

Seifer jumps out of the way of the volley of spells and starts to plan.

Thinking "I was right, she sucks for the physicals and is good on the magical. Probably going to stick to range hoping to stay away from me, well to bad, no one hurts my partner and gets away free." Seifer

"You can't hit what you can't get. Oh and I wouldn't try any spells if I were you I naturally have reflect on me at all times" Woman throwing out two tornadoes and a blind.

"Thanks, you saved me a little trouble." Seifer while smiling at her as he doges her assault again.

"Wha?" slowing down only slightly at his response.

BAM, followed by a sickening crunch as the woman goes down holding her stomach.

In Seifers right hand is a black handgun and in his left is a black broadsword.

"How?" As the Woman spits up some blood with the question.

"Like this." As he walks over to her, he puts the two weapons together and they glow slightly combining into his gunblade. "Now who are you, and how do I get back to Planet?" Seifer

"Jun, and as fare as your other question," PHA, as she spits blood onto his face. "Get bent." She then casts holy three times on herself. When the smoke clears there are a little more than a few chucks left of her.

"Fuck, now how am I going to get back. I promised them I would never leave them alone, and here I am suck on Gaia knows where, or by the looks of it when, with the crybaby chicken and the bed wetting cowboy." Seifer as he goes over to Remmy. "Esuna."

Remmy slowly shakes himself and goes up and nuzzles Seifer trying to comfort his distressed pack mate.

"Dimmit Rem, What am I going to do?" Seifer

"Ra Huff" Remmy

"True, Irvine where am I?" Seifer

"Winhill." Irvine

"Ok it's east of here, Zell what's todays date?" Seifer

"09/23/XX." Zell (I have no idea the calendar year over there. The only clue I have is that they give the birthdates in the manual, of month and day, with the ages. I'm going to leave the year part out for now till I figure out something, or if anyone knows the year part please tell me. Thanks)

"Only a month, no wonder you two look so young, guess I'm the oldest now." Seifer as he sits next to Remmy planning on how to get to FH.

Irvines head popped up at the last comment. "You remember then?"

"Remember what?"Seifer

Thinking "What is something that only he would know from there, I know" Irvine

"Snuff." Irvine

"Yeah, that mouse was funny as hell. He always did know when to come in and scare the girls. Wait a tic, you remember the orphanage too? I thought the GFs killed everyone's memory of the place." Seifer

"It did, I had to remind them after you bombed Trabia."Irvine

"Remind?"Seifer

"Yes, the memories aren't forgotten, just put way back. If you keep a journal, or have something to remind you of the memories, you don't have anything to worry about." Irvine

"He knew?" Zell

"You always were one for the witty remarks, chicken-wuss." Seifer

"Seifer, Zell continue." Irvine

"If you knew, why didn't you say anything to us at the trial or at Garden?" Zell

"Some things are between a: Knight, Sorceress, and his long past with her only." Seifer

"Wait, I thought Cid was Edeas Knight." Zell

"He is Zell, so the only way you could have a long past with Ultimecias as her Knight is if you were her Knight before Garden, and before that I know Cid was Edeas Knight so that leaves her out." Irvine looking strait at Seifer.

"This why I didn't want to talk at the trial." Seifer

"Seifer." Irvine grinding his teeth and looking pissed.

"Yes I knew her before Garden happy now." Seifer

"How?" Zell

Seifer looks at the irate Irvine and the confused Zell and groans.

"I suppose I'm not leaving here without some fight unless I answered that right?" Seifer

"Yes." Irvine

"Is there someplace we can sit down in privet? This is going to be a long story, and on the ground and out in the open aren't my favorite places to talk about this." Seifer

Zell and Irvine exchange glances and nod to each other.

"Ok, follow me." Zell as he gets up and starts to head towards Winhill. Seifer followed after him with Remmy at his side. Irvine takes up the rear after retrieving his items.

At the Inn in Winhill

"Spill." Irvine

"Where do you want me to start?" Seifer

"Beginning is always good." Zell

"Which begging?" Seifer

"Cut the crap Seifer." Zell

"Look wuss which beginning. Where I have been at, because I know I don't look the same, or the Sorceress thing." Seifer

"The Sorceress first." Irvine

"I met her shortly after I entered the orphanage. You know how Ellone can send people back in time through dreams?" Seifer

"Yes" Irvine

"Well she had something similar, she could go back to anyone who had her power in history and interact through that Sorceress." Seifer

"Whoa." Zell

"Yeah, she was something else." Seifer with a small bitter-sweet smile on his face, and eyes that showed his mind was someplace else.

"That explains how you met, but the Knight part." Irvine getting Seifer back on track.

"She didn't have an easy time in her era, so she used the link to look for someone to protect her. I agreed to it and we soon became fast friend after that." Seifer

"Wait, how did you two hook-up if she needed Edeas body just to be with you?" Irvine

"At night when the rest of you were asleep, or had triple sleep put on you, we would go down to the beach and play." Seifer

"You put sleep spells on us?" Zell

"Yup, but only on the light sleepers out of you." Seifer looking at Irvine

"Knight?" Irvine

"I'm getting there, do you remember when Edea took us to that movie that had the Knight fighting the dragon with a gunblade?" Seifer

"Yeah, you wouldn't shut up about it for weeks after." Irvine

"Well after seeing that, and knowing she had to deal with in her time, I asked her if I could be her Knight here in this time. She was a little leery about the idea and asked if she could think about it. Two nights later she came back agreed to let me be her Knight only if I knew what I was getting into. I agreed to train, and I began to practice the following weeks. During the day it was with play fighting with you all, and the occasional bit of sneaking information from Edea about magic. At night when she came she would take an hour to explain things that I couldn't ask Edea about, and then we would mess around after that. Three weeks later she tested me and I passed with flying colors, and became her Knight." Seifer

"You keep saying she and her but not Ultimecia, why?" Zell

"Never call her that." Seifer looking pissed.

"What, but you just said you were her Knight so what's going on?" Zell

"I am, wait this might be easier, what do you know about the relationship between a Knight and a Sorceress?" Seifer

"A Knight protects a Sorceress, and will do just about anything to get her back if something happens to her." Zell

"Yes, that is true on the most basic level, but there is much more to it then that. A Knight also has many other choices and concerns besides that, and consequences to those choices are just as important as protecting the Sorceress. I can proudly state that I was the best Knight she ever had in her service, do to my training and skills, but the one after me well sucked." Seifer

"Knight after you?" Irvine

"Yes, when we were carted off to Garden she broke our ties to keep me safe from a few things that can happen to a failed Knight. It wasn't till that night in the TV station that I saw her again. Only now she was different, off and a little broken somehow, I wanted to help her so I reconnected our ties and saw she had no Knight for quite some time. That was my first of many worries." Seifer

"How" Zell

"A Knight acts almost like a spare energy tank for a Sorceress extra power and emotions. People can only have so much power and so many other things built up before it gets to them, and a Sorceress is no exception to that. Too much power and too many emotions equals not good in any Knights book." Seifer

"So your saying if you were left with Edea there might not have been an Ultimecia." Irvine

"Maybe, though I honestly don't know. I gave up a long time ago trying the what ifs to that one." Seifer

"So what were the others?" Zell

"Honestly, I can't tell you most of it." Serifer

"Why?" Irvine

"There are some things that a Knight just can't talk about to someone who isn't a Knight. Even if I was tortured an automatic Silence would prevent me from saying things." Seifer

"So what can you tell us about?" Irvine

"What happened after the war, and the consequences for failing. Do you know how a Weapon is created?" Seifer

"No, why?" Zell

"A Weapon is a knight who failed in his duty to protect his Sorceress. After you fail your duty you are given one month to get things in order and make a choice. One, to die as man on your own terms; two, to live as a monster for the rest of your life; three, find another Sorceress who will Knight you." Seifer

"Shit." Irvine

"But it's been longer then that for you, so what gives?" Zell

"I'm an odd case." Seifer

"How?" Zell

"How can you fail someone who isn't born yet?" Seifer

"So the only reason we don't have a Weapon you is that!" Irvine

"Well, remember when Jun said that the gate didn't allow anything human through? She was right, nothing human did come through. I am a Weapon just a little bit on the different side." Sees them gaping like a fish at him. "Since she isn't born yet I have all of my memories and human form, but I have one thing that still makes me a Weapon, my adaptation ability. If I were to pick option two this, adaptation, would kick in after that month and turn me into a Weapon that would fit to the area that I was in. Do to the fact that I haven't failed her yet, with her not being born, my adaptation did turn on, but never turned off, so now I can adapt to any environment I am in and still keep myself. Get it?" Seifer

"You can change into any Weapon in any place?" Zell

"Yup, here I'll show you." Seifer as he takes off his trench and sticks out his right arm.

"Wait, here, now, what about the building?" Irvine

"Relax, I know what I'm doing." Seifer

Soon after those words his arm from his elbow down turned black with razor sharp claws coming out from each finger tip.

"See, told you I knew what I was doing." Seifer

Well I hope you all liked this chapter and as always read and review. Till next time.

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	7. Conversations

Macky: Thanks once more for being the first to review my story once again.

Ja Rule: Thanks for the review, to answer your question it isn't that I am lazy about writing this, I seriously am going to work and school, so writing for fun tends to be put off till I get some free time.

Zack M. Strith: I guess I'm growing on ya, Thanks.

Imperial P.: I am trying to finish this story this time, and I'm happy you didn't give up on me Thanks.

Conversations

"Whoa." Zell as he looks at Seifers right arm with some shock and amazement, turns over to Seifer and asks, "Can I touch it?"

"It's my arm, not a third person." Seifer, but sees Zells pleading eyes. "Fine if it will get you to stop."

"Yeah!" Zell as he takes Seifers arm into his hands and starts to experimentally look it over.

Thinking "Zell seems to be taking this in strides, but Irvine has been strangely quiet. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing, so I might as well be the first to say something and start this game." Seifer

"You're quiet." Seifer

"I," bites lower lip and makes a sort of muffled growl in the back of his mouth. "We fought two Weapons when we were after you: one in the Deep Sea Research Center Ultima, the later Omega, at your former Sorceresses castle. You said that Weapons are failed Knights who didn't pick option one or had a chance for option three right?" Irvine

"Yes, so what are you getting at?" Seifer, also by this time Zell had stopped looking over Seifers arm and looked to Irvine as well.

"Several things, first one being how much do they remember from before, if you can answer that?" Irvine

"Starting with the fun ones are you, and yes I can answer that. Well, it all depends on how long it has been, and if the person wanted to remember. I won't go into detail, but I know how Ultima came about, and for him he just wanted to forget and hide away. Others, well let's leave it be for now." Seifer turning his arm back and putting his trench back on.

"Others?" Sees Seifers mildly pissed off look and decides to change topic. "You also said the Knight after me sucked, were there others, or was Omega the Knight who failed?" Irvine

"PHHHA (that sound you make when you half sigh and whistle)." Seifer as he tilts his head back thinking on how to answer that. "He was, there was only one other Knight that was with her after she separated our ties." Seifer

"After, what about before?" Irvine

"Cowboy, you're treading on thin ice here, pick your next question." Seifer looking more pissed then before.

"Ok, last one you said, if I were to pick option two this, adaptation, would kick in after that month, and turn me into a Weapon." Irvine

Thinking "Fucking perspective Bastard." Seifer

"I wasn't given a chance to pick the choice I wanted, at the time, with the trial going on, and let's just leave it at that." Seifer

A look of understanding spreads over Irvines face at that.

"So: what have you been up to, where have you been, and why are you so old?" Zell trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Well, it might be easer to answer them all if I just tell you the whole thing in order, and not just the questions. Give me a bit to get a few things in order, and I will tell you what happened." Seifer as he digs in some of the pouches on his belt, and takes a few things. When he is satisfied with those items he then moves over to take a few things from his clothes pockets.

"You remember after the trial the only place we could go was FH right?" Seifer

"Yeah, the Mayor said you three could stay there and start over if you caused no trouble, much to everyone's surprise." Zell

"After he took such a chance on us, we decided to be the protectors of the city to say a thank-you of sorts. We would take care of any monsters that came in from the bridge on ether side of the city on top of our part-time jobs that we had." Seifer

"Jobs?" Irvine

"Yes, jobs. Fujin worked part-time at an item shop, Blinks, converting paper records and other forms to computer documents and files for better managing. Raijin worked as a part-time repair man in one of the rental boat shops, Gone Fishing, for sports fisherman. Me I did freelance home repairs, and later some babysitting for some of the neighbors." Seifer

"Baby…." Zell shocked.

"……..Sitter" Irvine mortified.

"I didn't know you two were that way, but I can see it now; though Irvine what will you tell Selphie, and Zell think of Brandy (library girl) and of her feelings.

"You are a sick man, you know that right?" Irvine being as Zell was too mortified to talk.

"Yup, though it took you this long to find out?" Seifer smirking.

"Just get on with the story." Zell thinking of ways to kill the blond.

"Fine, to streamline the process of knowing where and when the monsters came from we set up sensors along the bridge every 1/4 of a mile for 15 miles on both sides, and put a few under the water around the city just to be safe." Seifer

"How could you afford something like that, and where did you get the time?" Irvine

"It wasn't that hard considering most of the items came from the crashed Galbadia Garden. Before you ask, it was a trade off; for our silence on a few things they give us the Garden free of charge. That bit of information never leaves this room though. Time was also easy seeing as I could go, at that time, a good week without needing to sleep." Seifer

"I always did wonder what they did with it; think I could get my stuff from it?" Irvine

"Sure." Seifer

"Thanks." Irvine

"Story." Zell

"Ok, ok, it was with the sensors that we picked up the wakes on the bridge." Seifer

"Wakes, there was more then one?" Zell

"Yes, it started on and off about a month and a half before the attack on the city. At first, we thought it was some weird malfunction. Given the fact that most of the equipment was used, and had gone through a war, it was our first thought. Fujin started to recheck the software, and Raijin worked on the sensors themselves, both trying to figure out the reason for the weird readings. We got our answer though when the attack happened. At the time though I didn't know it, to me they were just some new type of monster, but a group of about 23 spiral had been sent to the east side of the bridge hell-bent on getting into FH." Seifer

"Spiral?" Irvine

"Yes, they are a type of monster not found here, but on Planet." Seifer

"Planet, where is that? I've never heard of the place." Irvine

"Not surprising considering Planet is another world." Seifer

"What?" Zell

"You heard me; those wakes take monsters from Planet to Gaia and vice versa. When I went after the retreating spiral I was sucked over to Planet with them, but landed in a different place then them." Seifer as he unfolds the map he had previously had in his trench inner pocket.

The map was older, but in good shape, and it showed a clear image of Planet. There were several marks on the map indicating different things: red marks for towns/cities, black X's for items stashed all over the world, and there were small dark purple marks in different shapes for something only labeled as useful.

"I ended up here." Points to a blob that was in dark purple, "It was the dead city Liaos, also known to some as the City of the Ancients. The Ancients, or Cetra, were an interesting race of people that shared some similarities with a few other tribes or clans only known by the few scalars, and the odd ball history buff here." Seifer

"Didn't know you were into history Seifer." Irvine

"A guy has got to have some hobbies. As you can see the city is not on the standard map, though given the fact that the people of the city were a dieing to dead race, it's not surprising." Seifer

"What?" Zell

"As far I could tell, I was the first person to have been there in over 50 years. Apparently there was some sort of sickness that killed what few people were left in the city, and caused the few survivors to relocate elsewhere on Planet. Though, that might have been a good thing for me." Seifer

"How?" Irvine

"When I first came to Planet, all I had was what was on me when I went out onto the bridge, which wasn't much in the way of long term survival: the cloths on my back, gunblade, a couple of odd items, and my wallet. Landing in city full of gear and equipment free for the taking was good thing for me. It gave me a place to get use to the: magic, monster, items, and much more from over there without fear of hurting someone by mistake." Seifer

"Hurting someone how?" Zell

"You saw how I just changed my arm right?" Seifer

"Yeah." Zell

"Well if you were to tell me I would be able to do that, with that much speed and control, say before I left, I would of said you were on something. Hell, it took me over a year just to be able to shift back from any transformation in under ½ an hour. To add to that all of my skills and stats were boosted to the point that Fujin and Raijin had to take care of me like some quasi baby for the first month after my adaption kicked in, so I wouldn't destroy everything I touched. Do you even realize how embarrassing it is to ask for help eating, because every time you picked up a utensil you crushed it, or had to ask help to open a door in fear of ripping it off the hinges when you opened it for a month till you got some control over yourself?" Seifer

"See your point, please continue." Zell

"I stayed there for a few months till I was confident enough to explore on my own with the skills I had picked up. What can I say, even I get a little lonely and curious, and I figured an adventure would do me some good. Three weeks into my travels I met Hang Po, and decided to go with him on his journey to find a student to teach his arts to." Seifer as he opens his wallet and flips to a photograph. "This is a little bit later when I became that student."

They were sitting on the palm of one of the gods carved into the mountain that was by Wutai. Po was a man in his late 30's with several small scars on his darker skinned face. One line on his chin to the left side, another over his right eye that, thankfully, didn't take the dark brown eye, the final one was a line that started from his the middle of his left eyebrow and went into his hair. His hair was black and cut short to about an inch in length all over except for the long braid that started at the top of his head and went almost to his feet. He was wearing a lose blue long sleeved shirt, that was kept closed with a black cord laced into the front going town the middle. A pair of simple black pants were on his legs, with an old pair of sandals finishing off his cloths. On his face though you could see the grin just poking through, but what gave him away were his eyes that screamed with laughter. Seifer had his arm over his teachers shoulder with a smile on his own face. He was dressed in simple black pants and a plain lose long sleeved white shirt. His gunblade was setting on the stone to his side with a long sword on top of it. What caught Zell and Irvines eyes in particular was Seifers shaved head with the only a little hair on his shoulder showing he had a small ponytail where his bottom braid was at now.

"Hair?" Zell

"Oh that, it's a tradition to show a connection with your training and progress." Seifer as he grabs the bottom braid.

"How's that?" Irvine

"See this nice long braid, well it started out as that little ponytail all those years ago. The different: dies, beads, feathers, and ribbons all represent different things that happened during my training under Po, or on my own." Points to a small orange ribbon knotted into his hair. "I received this when I passed my test on fire endurance and casting." Seifer

"Ok, I think I get it now, please continue." Irvine

Seifer pulls out two amulets that had four slots with three stones in each slots.

"I was taught two jobs under his training Monster Slaying," Points to the silver amulet with the: green, blue, and yellow stones. "and Blade Master." Now points to the red amulet with the: black, white, and clear stones. "I won't go into great detail on the traditions and aspects, just that I trained with him for two year and went to the third level in both jobs, hence the three stones in each amulet." Seifer

"You said it was only two years so what happened, you are older then that?" Irvine

"Po died while I was out training for the fourth and final level, and with no others to challenge for the position I, by default, got my fourth stone in both. Though, I never went ahead and got them in Wutai for reasons I will not talk about. " Seifer

"Sorry about the lose, he sounded like a good man." Irvine

"He was, and thanks." Seifer

"So what happened after that?" Zell

"I got married to very pretty lady by the name of Iris Strife that I met on my own training for the final level." Seifer as he flips to a different photograph.

They were both sitting on an old swing set just smiling at each other. Though, with the way they looked at each other, you could easily tell that they had more then just a friendly relationship. Iris was a blond woman that was in her early 20's with: long, wild, spiky blond hair. Her green eyes were focused on Seifers own eyes with a smile showing off he cream colored smooth face. She was in a plain peach dress, and was on Seifers lap leaning into him. Seifer was now looking a lot like he did now just less shaggy in the hair and face. His arms were around Iris and his head was resting on the top of her head. On his face was the most peaceful look that you would never thought a man with his past could possess.

"If I didn't see the photo I wouldn't have believed it." Zell

Seifer pulls out a silver chain that was below his shirt that had a simple silver ring on it. "Here's the ring." Fishes out an ID card that read Seifer Almasy Strife for name and shows it to the two.

"You took your wife's last name?" Irvine

"Well I had earned a title with Almasy from my training with Po that wasn't all that friendly, so I went with her last name to have a better chance of not freighting the neighbors." Seifer

"What was it?" Zell

"Death Almasy. Don't get me wrong I love the honor of the name, which is one of the highest titles you can get in both jobs, it's just not that good to have though when you are looking for a place to stay." Seifer

"Makes since, so what do we call you now?" Zell

"Well I kept my professional name for work, and kept the married name for outside of work. I guess you can call me Seifer Almasy Strife, it's not like I have to worry about people putting together the last name with my family that isn't here in hopes of getting revenge on me." Seifer

"Family?" Irvine

"Yes, you saw Iris and Remmy is sort of the adopted uncle/big brother to my son Cloud." Seifer

"Hold up, son, you have a kid? Can Weapons even have kids?" Irvine

"Well technically no, Weapons can not have kids, it just don't work. Though you have to remember several things: one, not normal weapon; two, different world so different rules apply; three, adaptation allows me to adapt to my surroundings, so adapting swimmers that can have a kid with Iris is more possible over there then it would be with someone

here." Seifer

"Too much information there." Zell looking a little sick.

"So how old is he and dose he ….." Irvine

"He is almost four, and as far as other things he may have picked up from me, well I don't know. He has been pretty normal all around, so far, so I don't think he has much to worry about." Seifer

"So what dose he look like?" Zell

Seifer flips to a photo of a three-year-old boy with spiky blond hair and blue eyes with an infectious smile plastered onto his face. On him is Seifers trench covering almost everything about the boy from the neck down except for Remmys head that is poking out from about the middle of the trench showing that he is sitting on him.

"That was from his third birthday party about a year ago." Seifer voice cracking up slightly.

"He looks a little like you." Zell

"Yeah, but I can see he got most of his looks from his mother." Irvine

"Yeah, Iris's looks my personality. He is one hell of a handful." Seifer

"The thing that strikes me is Remmy, how the heck did he come into this?" Zell

"I got him after I took him from a trap that some hunter had setup to get his mother. I originally was just going to put him down, but they came up before I could do that so I hid. I found out that they were going to sell him for testing, so I knocked out the hunters and took him. After that I raised him and he became my partner and sort of family member after that." Seifer

"Wow." As Zell looks down to the sleeping Remmy next to Seifer.

BEEP,BEEP,BEE….

"Coming in to assist with the monsters, is there anything else you need?" Male Voice from the cell.

"Monster are already taken care of, but can you still come over for transportation?" Irvine

"Yes, we can." Male Voice

"Thanks" Irvine

"No problem, and out." Male voice cutting transmission.

I think if I wrote any more on this chapter, with my homework, my fingers would bleed. Though on a serious note, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, true a few things were already discussed in previous ones, but that was on Planet not Gaia so the info had to get out some how over there, and this looked like the best way. Well read and review and I will do my beat to get back to you.

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	8. Knowing the Enemy

Seifers past is out, now it is time to set his and perhaps Clouds future.

Zack M. Strith: Thanks for reviewing and here is a heads-up, I changed the ages a little and added an extra year over there for Seifer so now Cloud is four and not three. After rereading this again I noticed I made Cloud a little too articulate for that age.

Knowing the Enemy

In a dark room seven people stood in a circle looking over a pedestal with a translucent quality to it. The figures were all dressed in long dark robes with the only difference in them being the cut made for a man or a woman. One of the seven stepped up to the pedestal and waved both "hands", if you want to call three clawed fingers with blue scales on black skin hands, over in a series of patterned movements while saying a slight incantation. When the figure was done you could see the image of a monster.

The monster was at least 18 ft tall with two sets of wings. One set came from the back of the black scaled body, from the waist up, which had symbolized patters done in red ink. The ink seemed to flow over the whole body and would spontaneously change in pattern from time to time. The other set came from its thick scorpion like tail towards the top by the stinger. Each leg was like that of a horse with black short fur with shaggy tuffs at the hoofs. Arms were humanlike with claws coming from the six fingered hands. The head was like a cats with pointed elf ears at the sides. Two flexible tentacles coming from its head of red hair that tapered off into claws at the bottom that were a leathery solid black poked out from about the top where the normal cat ears would be. The rest of the face was hidden in a mussel that was connected into the chains that kept him bound on his floating prison in a void filled with darkness.

"Do you have the core?" As the man looked over to one of the women in the room.

"No, my servant Jun was guarding it." Woman One

"Explain, Siu." The same man as before.

"Jun was defeated when she was testing the blitz gate Ning." Siu

"How could she be killed? She went through the process." Ning

"Yes, she did, but something came out after the gate that could not be explained." Siu

"Try me." Ning

"Well, when I shifted away to get a better look of the events of the completed gate something strange happened. A man came out that wasn't a man, but not a monster either. He had been out of it at first, but soon came to after one of the SeeDs' checked him over. I told Jun to check him out with some light sparing, though maybe I should have sent a monster, she was soon over whelmed and took herself out so that the core wouldn't be found. I did not further engage the "man" and what seemed to be his partner monster, a strange looking behemoth, and waited for their next actions.

"And they were?" Ning

"They went to the town for a while and are now heading back towards Balamb Garden on one of the three borrowed jets from Esthar, the blue one with the "X" wing setup. The four reinforcements that came in the jet are staying in the area, which was all I was able to get before I left the area." Siu bowing to Ning

"Waya, they are traveling into your area keep tabs on this, and report back to me what you find." Ning as he turns back to one of the men that was in back.

"Yes Ning. Sir, do you want me to test the person as well to get some ideas on him?" Waya

"Yes, have some fun with him. " Ning

Back to just before they (Seifer, Remmy, Zell, and Irvine) left for Balamb.

"Nice toy, I wonder who they killed to get it?" Seifer as he looks over the jet not realizing he said that out loud.

The jet being one of the three recently commissioned, semi-experimental, flyers from Esthar, this one is the Shifter. As far as looks go it wasn't all that impressive, triangular body with four wings (two on each side) that were adjustable by the hydraulics that connected the wings to the jet, and the "Y" shaped shafts that ran in an arc at the center of the wings. The blue and silver accents helped out a little to stylize it, but what the jet lacked in looks and in style it more then made it up in design. The simple shape cut down on wind resistance, combine that with the eight jet thrusters (two on each wing one on either side of the hydraulics on the wings) making it the fastest of the three jets. The fire power was good with the two AP ammo rail guns that were mounted on the bottom front of the jet. The finishing touch was the newly developed carbon armor that was light and surprisingly elementally resistant to a certain degree. So in all not that pretty, but fast and surprisingly tuff when put up against the wall.

Muttering "Some things never change with time." Zell looking a little annoyed at Seifers comment as he goes to setup the replacement team.

"GURRRR" Remmy looking at Zell, but calms down as Seifer pats him on the shoulders.

"SNUFF" as he curiously looks up and over to Seifer.

Note: Next bit is translated from growls between Seifer and Remmy.

"Pack leader?" Remmy

"Old pack-mate not after fight, old pack-mate just upset at my actions. Understand?" Seifer

"Understand. Where our pack, said tell after went with old pack?" Remmy

"Our pack far away, need old packs help to get to." Seifer

"You, help?" Remmy

"Remember old pack on water, ones not get to?" Seifer

"Snow Hair, Stone Skin, said not get to from anywhere, missing way." Remmy

"Going now on metal bird after talk old pack. Flash take over to place of water pack, need new flash to get back to our pack." Seifer

"Wait for flash again not work?" Remmy

"No, look or find us like this time. Need water packs help, need old pack help to get water pack. Safe at water pack or old pack other packs want dead." Seifer

"Understand." Remmy as he gets scratched by Seifer once more.

Note: Grammar sucked with that, but Remmy is mentality that of a smart child with survival skills, going back to regular talking now.

"You can understand him?" Irvine looking a little stunned.

"I raised him; I better know how to talk to him." Seifer with a smile as he continues to scratch Remmy and dose a double take at the team.

"They're all set to take over and Davis (pilot) is ready to fly us back for the briefing." Zell

"Alright might as well get this done and over with so I can get back to FH. Zell, how long will it take to get there?" Seifer

"We'll be back to Garden in about four hours why?" Zell

"If I stayed on the jet with just my thoughts for my only distraction, you both would try to kill me by the end of the flight just to stay sane. I know how fast I fly, and if I remember the distance correctly, I should be able to keep up with you four on the jet." Seifer now thinking "It will also give me some time to figure out why Cam is now with Seed too."

"You can fly?" Zell

"Didn't I just say I could keep up with the jet?" Seifer

Irvine and Zell share a look to each other.

"OK, just stay within our sight at all times." Irvine

"Alright, and if Remmy gives you any trouble on the way scratch him on his left shoulder to calm him down." Seifer and with that he takes off his: jacket, boots, and items and hands them to Irvine.

With the items gone two wings of a leathery black come out from his back with red single clawed ridges at the joints of the wings. Along his skin you could see the same leathery black quality applied to all parts of his body with varying spots of brown and copper scales flicked in here and there. Claws on his feet and hands, along with the new fangs, gave him an even more demonic look. Though with the now slatted eyes with gold specks mixed in the elflike ears it all fit somehow with the hair that didn't change.

"See something interesting?" as Seifer smirks at their slacked-jawed expressions giving them an even better view of the lethal looking teeth.

"Cool." Zell giving a pleading look to the wings.

"You never were one for doing things small." Irvine

"You know me if I'm doing something it better be big. Well time to fly." With that Seifer climbed up the side of the jet and leapt off to glide while he waited for them to get going.

"Hold up." Said the crossbow welding female Seed that was about the only one not pointing her weapon at the now hovering Seifer.

"What?" Seifer

"Sir, (addressing Zell) what the hell is he? You only said you were bringing back a person and monster from the wakes that wasn't hostile to Garden for questioning. Last time I checked people don't sprout wings like that and start flying." Crossbow female Seed

"Strife you may want to get down here, you can explain this better then me." Zell

Thinking "Well I guess I can practice what I'm going to tell PB to them now." Seifer as he lands, and then gives them all a 20 min. rundown on everything.

"Whoa, another world." Twin knife welding male Seed

Thinking "Ta, figures Seifer is involved with this somehow." Lance welding male Seed.

"Weird." Reaper welding female Seed

"I wonder why you were knocked out and not Remmy?" Crossbow female Seed

"Can you still talk and listen when flying at the speed of the jet?" Davis

"Yeah, why?" Seifer as he watches Davis run into the jet and then come out holding a headset. "Nice idea." As he takes the head set and adjusts it to his liking.

With the headset now working and the jet now airborne they take off towards Garden.

I didn't die, I just got VERY busy with things, (work, school, real life in general) but now things have calmed down slightly and I can work on this again. Well as always read and review and I'll get back to you. Thanks

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	9. Forgotten Friend Found

Thanks Macky and first timer Lilly for the kind words. To answer you questions Lilly: not for a while, already have (I left a small hint to that a while back, see if you or anyone else can find it. I will give yes or no answer if you think you have it and want to know), oh they will meet and greet, but to answer more would give too much away.

Forgotten Friend Found

Location: Midgar, day after chapter 5

"Reeve, I want you to look up someone." Vincent

"Ok, who?" Reeve

"Jack West, he was mentioned a few times as a friend of the family." Vincent

"I'll see what I can get after the meeting today, and contact him if possible." Reeve

"How are they?" Vincent

"Good, this is just more of a get-together to rap-up the finishing touches on the extension of solar panels on the plate if anything else. They're a pretty good bunch of people and are working together to fix this city, not stab each other to advance their own standing." Reeve

"What a consept, team-work." Vincent

"Thanks Vincent, and bye." Reeve

"Tomorrow then." Vincent

After meteor and the damage to the plates, that acted as shields above to the now main city below, Midgar was divided into six sections. Four of these sections were habitable, but two of the sections were considered uninhabitable due to unstable plate movement, and unusable to unstable public applications such as: water, electricity, shelter, and plumbing, those two sections were called the Decon Zones (DZ1, DZ2). Their primary uses were for salvage, to help replace large parts on short notice, and training for: military, police, emergency rescue, and the Turks. The other four sections that were habitable were each given a name to go with their zoning code to help distinguish them as living areas and not numbers with faceless people. In addition within these four zones three people were voted in from each section to: act as leaders for their areas, representatives to other three, and to work with the new Shinra to help everyone.

Zone One (Anhui), which took up most of the northern part of the city, was shaped like a bowl, and was bordered by: 2 to the west and southwest, 4 to the central south, 3 to the south east, D1 to the northeast with a section of it creating a "L" shape notch out of the top of the bowl with the bottom part of the L cutting from the central north to the east, and open grasslands to the north that wasn't covered by D1. This was the main area for the military and science departments with some public housing and works scattered in here and there. Anhui was the main area for the new Shinra, but even with all the work that was going on for Shinra you could still see work being done for the average Joe right next door. As Reeve, or President Tuesti (the official Dirge of Cerberus sight from Japan gives this as his last name, in the game I only remember seeing Reeve so if this seems no duh-ish to you blame it on a half blind author) , put it "We're not immortal we all grow old and die someday, I want the ones who come after me to be better off then I was. The only way I can see that happening is if everything is improved to get the best from all and not just the few." The three representatives for this area were: John Taba (former Middle School Science Teacher), Lisa Masters (retired Construction Contractor), and Blaeu Totivs (former Head Italian Chef).

Zone Two (Nanggala) had: Anhui to the northeast, open grasslands to the central north and to some of the north west, D2 took up the rest of the north west and zigzagged like a backwards "S" to the central south, 4 took up the central southern border and went to the central east where it connected with Anhui and itself. Salvage and shipping are the two mainstays for that area, making it more of a skilled labor section if anything else. Most of what was salvaged, that wasn't a weapon or energy source, came through here first to get repairs before it was shipped to other sections or sold within its own. Maggey Uniden (former Mechanical Drafter), Lanx Quest (former Helicopter Mechanic), and Novi Zyar (former Retail Store Manager) are the representatives in this zone.

Zone Three (Orkney) had D1 making its entire eastern border. Auhui was the northern border cutting out the top in bowl slope that met with D1 in the northern point before the strait line to the L cut into it. The southern border was open grassland that connected to the newly developed rail station that was being constructed to connect Midgar to Kalm. Though Auhui would have been better with its location Reeve wanted the railways to be better connected to the public and less in the more privet Auhui. Zone four was the western border sloping in another backwards S, but where as D2 was sharp, 4 was lazy curve that was almost strait at the top and only jutted back into itself towards the bottom. Orkney was more of the residential district with small shops put in here and there. To represent this area: Miles Lan (former Librarian), Sandra Conner (former Graphic Designer), and Ali Fisher(former Doctor).

Zone Four (Corio) was shaped like a left handed mitten with the thumb cut off just above the first knuckle coming from the hand. Anhui just touched it on the central north with Orkney taking up the rest of the north east and rapping around to make its eastern border. Nanggala did the same only to the west and stopping only where it met up with D2 that took the rest making the nub of a thumb on the western side. Open grassland was to the south. Corio was the entertainment (shopping, movies, fine arts) and higher learning (University of Midgar, Escrow School of Science, and Dynamics Trades School) section. If there was something going on for fun or class it happened here. Jean Cadoff (former Programer), Debra Davis (former Cop), and Dan Pomana (former Chocobo Breeder) represented this area.

The Radio Plaza, the new headquarters for the reformed Shinra under President Reeve Tuestis control, is a 14 story tall building with ten rooms on each floor from floor two up located in the center of the city. Floor one being the exception with four sections being the: main lobby, repair center for vehicles, public reference for information, and a small food court with an open area for mixed conversion (employee and non-employee gatherings). Floor two was broken into two groups of five rooms for a secondary fire emergency rescue unit for the area. Group one was for repair and maintenance of non-ground equipment, and group two for the housing them and the records of events that they took care of in the area. Floors three through five were now a converted clinic for minor to mid level injuries for both employees and the public. Floors six and seven were also part of the "medic wing" but not open to the public do to its nature. Reeve had those floors setup just for those that had been used for experimentation under the old Shinra. Eight was a mixed use area for recreation and eating for those that didn't have time to go to the bottom floor or wanted to be close to the information center that took up floors: nine, ten, and eleven. Twelve became the new development center for energy and public welfare of the city. Floor thirteen held: Reeves office, and the other staff meeting rooms for the other departments. Floor fourteen was the Turks floor for two reasons: faster deployment and they figured they could handle a three way defense if needed (roof, all sides of the plaza, from floor below) better then most.

Time: 1 ½ hours after the meeting, location: floor ten of the Plaza

"Gotcha, one Jack West living in Costa Del Sol. Seems to own a weapons repair shop with his adopted daughter Zoe." Looks at his watch and sees that it isn't too late to call at their time zone and starts to dial.

BEEP, BEEP, BE

"West Repairs this is Zoe. What can I do for you today?" Zoe

"Hi, my name is Reeve, and I would like to speak to Jack. Is he in?" Reeve

"Yes, he is in back do you want me to give him a message?" Zoe

"No, but thank you." Reeve

"Ok, well here he is." Zoe

"Hey, what cha' need." Jack

"This may sound strange but, do you happen to know anyone by the name of Seifer Almasy Strife, father to one of my best friends Cloud Strife would you?" Reeve

"Who are you?" Jack

"President Reeve Tuesti of Shinra, calling from the tenth floor of the Radio Plaza at your service." Reeve

"How did you find out about Seif, and my connection to him?" Jack

"When I was digging through some of the older dirt on this company I found a few things. I did a little checking with a friend who also found some things related to what I had found and it led to you." Reeve

"So what do you plan to do with what you find?" Jack

"Help my friend put his fractured past back together, but in order to do that I need people who were THERE to help me do that." Reeve

"I like your style Tuesti , you don't beat around the bush when it's personal. I'll help you in whatever you need." Jack

"Thanks, in six days you will be picked up by Cid on his way over here with: Vincent, Tifa, and Cloud. I won't tell them ( Tifa, Cid, and Cloud) who you are just that you are important to what is going on. Vincent will know about your connection, he is my other informant in this." Reeve

Thinking "My life was never boring when anything with Seif was involved so why should this be any different." Jack

"Ok, if you or this Vincent need me you know where to call." Jack

"Thank you, I tell him after this so expect contact from him soon." Reeve

"Alright see-ya" Jack

CLICK as Reeve went to say goodbye.

City planning is not one of my strongest skills. It was like pulling teeth trying to figure out how to make Midgar seem passable. That being said I have the next two chapters for this and Seifers side mostly etched out. As always enjoy, and I love to here from you and I will get back to you.

See first chapter for disclaimer.


	10. Flight

Flight

Location: About half way to Balamb Garden

"Come on Davis give me something to work for, I'm falling asleep out here." Seifer

About a third of the way into the flight Seifer and Davis started to "play" a little game of tag with each other. First Seifer would glide on the tailwinds from the jet, and then, with a quick burst, he would fly up just to tap the window where Davis sat. Davis, taking the invite, was all too happy to make Seifer work to get an opening to do that. At first it was simple sways and dives to try and throw Seifer off, only to later move into more complicated: weaves, turns, drops, and a few rolls to keep him on his toes.

Tap

Davis adjusts the right side of the wings to shrink the distance between them, and widens the left side to sharply swing the left side over. While the left side is turning he then sharply cuts some of the power to the right side to make the left turn into wild turning dip. Just as Seifer adjusts to the fall and turn Davis shoots both sides of the wings even and he shoots strait up nicking Seifer in the tail as he scrambles to get out of the way.

"How's that?" Davis

"Nice, their may be hope for you yet." Seifer giving a wicked grin to his right side now in view of the glass.

"Not that this isn't fun for you two, but some of us don't like our meals in seconds or thirds." Irvine clutching his seat looking over to the grinning Davis and Zell and silently envying the sleeping mini Remmy in his pocket who was none the wiser.

"Fine, fine, I'll be a good little weapon and just ride on top from here." Seifer

Seifer glides to the top of the glass landing on all four, but where the claws were now are suction-cups. To further hold on, and to cut wind resistance, he moves and adjusts his wings around himself covering himself up. Once covered the wings alter further making a wind resident dome that rests towards the back of the control deck. After that is done a tentacle like appendage comes out from just under the center of his ribcage and punches a hole into the top of the jet where he is at. When the hole is punched a connecting peace forms sealing around the top outer and bottom inner part of the hole. Where the top outer is solid the bottom inner is spreading out into a small black tissue like circle inside the jet. Irvine seeing that, and worrying about air presser, goes up to look at the appendage and connection only to hear a soft breathing sound coming from the little of it that is now inside the jet. Irvine feels it over at the edges, noting the warmth and the almost mouth-like look of the central part of the inner connection, looks up at Seifer in question.

"I gotta breath sometime, and right now the area I'm in is air tight." Seifer from the little part that Irvine is looking at from inside the jet.

"Damn, that's cool." Zell looking at Seifer noting that Seifer wasn't using the his mouth and radio to talk to them as Seifer moves to make himself comfortable under the wings.

"Davis, how is the wind resistance? I'm not making too much of a drag here am I?" Seifer

"N-no, things are showing all green here and the controls are handling the same." As Davis rips his eyes back over to the controls after watching Seifers adaptation to the glass in back. "We should be back at B-Garden in about two hours though, I got a question though what are we going to do about the hole after you go?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll detach the connecting peace from the appendage and the glass and seal it. Hell it will be the strongest part of the ship after that." Seifer

"Detach it?" Irvine a little puzzled about how skin and teeth would be better then the current armor.

"Irvine, you know how a lizard can grow back a tail right?" Seifer

"Yes." Irvine

"Think that, only instead of leaving a fleshy bit to rot I plan on leaving a clearish bone patch that would make the ships current paneling up here look as effective as a wet paper bag in a gun fight." Seifer as he waves him over to show him what he means.

Irvine goes back to the breathing hole and gets up on one of the adjacent chairs as Seifer points to the outer connecting part and hardens it, turning it from a hard black seal to an almost clear crystal like bone. As Irvine goes back to he seat after that he shakes his head in equal parts of amazement and weirdness.

Location and Time: B-Garden Commanders Squalls office, not long after he is told by Zell the situation in Winhill and that of Seifer and Remmy, Squall is ignoring the reports and now putting right a frame that he had put in the back of his desk under his out box a few days ago. Normally it would have been out, but after so many days of no luck, and the worried and sad glances by staff he put it there. Taking it out when he worked alone or at night.

"Rinoa, just hold on a little longer we will find you." As Squall brushes his fingers over the frame now with some new hope that they would find her. Once that is done he turns back over to Angelo and gives him a scratch and then connects over to Fishermans Horizon to fill in Fujin and Raijin.

"Report." Fujin seeing that it was Squall on the ID.

"Is Raijin with you too?" Squall

"I'm here, so what's up, ya know? Raijin

"We didn't find him, he found us." Squall

"SEIFER!" both Fujin and Raijin now jumping and pumping their fists in victory at the news.

"How did?" Fujin

With that Squall fills them in on what he knows of both Seifer and of the situation that they are now in. He does leave out the family information, and age change for Seifer to personally fill them in on that once he arrived there a Garden. After they are filled in, it was Raijin to break them from their respective thoughts about everything from the new information.

"Ya know, if I can recalibrate some of the sensors looking for a gate, and not just some spike in energy, we might be able to use them to find one that's going to go back to Planet and hitch a ride. Then there, maybe do the same from there, and get back." Raijin starting to tinker with one of the sensors to try out the idea.

"If a hitch might be possible, maybe we can use it to find them." Fujin starting to re-exam the data on the spikes not just as random energy, but now looking for patterns of communication and exportation.

Squall hearing the now familiar sounds of Raijins tinkering and Fujins quiet mutterings when deep into her work gave them their farewells and went to prepare for the arrivals.

Location and Time: Just to the Left of Balamb Garden in an open field now used as a temporary landing strip shown by the portable pump and supply station that was set up there for the Shifter and, if need be, the other jets. It is at this station that Squall is now at watching the jet land with a truck to take: Irvine, Zell, Seifer, and Remmy back to Garden. Davis was to stay with the jet and work with the ground crew to re-supply the jet and to rest from the flight. What he got though was anything but what he expected as he saw the strange black "bump" on the jet.

"The hell?" as Squall goes over to the side to get a better look at the black "bump" on the jet, and radios the question in to Davis.

"That's Seifer, sir." Davis

Squall turns his head to the side to now see a seam form in the "bump" and to watch as two wings form from it to reveal a crouching transforming to human Seifer start to stand. Once standing he detach a peace of himself and absorbed back an appendage that shouldn't be under his ribs. With that done Seifer jumps off the jet and starts to absorb back his wings now as he goes to the cargo hatch to: give back the radio, get his things, and to meet back up with Remmy and the others. Finally when everyone was good to go they went to a stunned Squall.

Seifer, now looking human and fully clothed, goes up and closes Squalls half open mouth and says.

"I know Iris says I dead sexy both in and out of bed, but do you have to drool too?" Seifer knowing that the best way to get Squall to go from what the hell mode back to work mode would be to tick him off.

"Seifer, get into the truck with the other monster now." Squall then looks to the chuckling pair of Zell and Irvine to shut them up. "Hear something funny?"

"N-no, nothing." Zell trying to straiten out his face.

"Maybe, but it wasn't worth repeating." Irvine still with grin.

Seifer just shakes his head at still knowing how to nail Squall, and gets into the open back of the truck beckoning the now restored Remmy to follow. Once they were all in and ready to go they headed to B-Garden to maybe figure out the mess that both this world and Planet were now in, not realizing they were being watched.

It's been a few years since I've worked on this, but there is a reason to it. I put off working on this to see how the whole FF7 expansion played out. When I first got the idea to do this story only FF7 and FF8 were out so no fuss and no muss as far what happened after. Life happened and I had to stop and start it a bit. Finally when things calmed back down I went back to it again, but still even then it was just FF7 and FF8. It was during this time that the news for the FF7 expansion came out so I figured I would wait and see how that all played out. Now that that has happened what I had planed over with the FF7 side got fraged, but the FF8 side stayed the same. What I am asking now is this would anyone be interested in a yet again remixed story to get FF7 back in cannon or go with a semi in cannon FF7 ( CC would still be ok and some of the: stories written, movie cannon, and DOS elements would work well. A few things would not be there though like WRO and Edge for example) and a mostly in cannon FF8. Honestly I'm a little for the later just to have a little more freedom to play, but I wouldn't mind the input if anyone cared one way or the other. As always read and review and I'll try to get back to you.


	11. Dreams of Childhood

Dreams of Childhood

Thanks Yukiko Yui and moonbunnie17 for putting me on you Story Alert list.

Disclamer: I own nothing involving any of these fine copyrighted fictional people. True I may stick in the occasional OC just for kicks, but they are up for grabs if you want to use them in your fics. Well enjoy.

More on the social side to the now AU FF7, and Seifers past takes a few twists as his former student comes into the mix.

Dreams of Childhood

Time and Location: The morning after the last Vincent and Reeve chapter at Elmyras home Reeve is having breakfast and starting his day with: Elmyra, Ruvie, Denzel, and Marlene (with Tifa and Cloud out Marlene is staying with them) as he waited for Tseng to get him. Now how this odd assortment came to be was a little interesting.

When Meteor hit, and the top plate was mostly destroyed. Denzel along with Ruvie, who was hurt from some falling debris from her now destroyed home, made their way down from the plate with the others who survived and came across Elmyra. She offered them shelter till things settled down, and Ruvie got better. Seeing that she was telling the truth, and they really did need the help till Ruvie was better, or they got Reeve, they stayed. When Ruvie was better, and was able to get in contact with her son, they decided to move to the Plaza with Reeve. Though when they were getting ready to pack, Ruvie saw that Elmyra was looking a little lonely. Ruvie seeing this said.

"That big Plaza is going to be pretty full, and loud with all that is going to be going on in there." Ruvie

"True, and this place is going to be pretty quiet and empty with you two gone." Elmyra looking around the area already missing them.

"I was wondering if we might be able to stay here for a bit longer," Sees Elmyras look of happiness at that, "till it quiets down there." Ruvie with a little grin.

"I think something could be done along those lines, but just until it quiets down over there." Elmyra getting the meaning behind the words.

"Of course. What do you think Denzel?" Ruvie

"So, does this means I don't have to pack?" Denzel smiling at the two older women.

"Nope." Elmyra

"Yeah!" Denzel going up to hug them both and already itching to tell Rix, and some of the others he had made friends with, he was staying.

Not long after that, Reeve half moved in with them as well. With the insistence by Elmyra that with as often as he visited, he might as well stay too.

So now he and Denzel shared one room when he spent the night ( Reeve lived at the Plaza, but would sleep over sometimes to get a break and relax), and Elmyra and Ruvie had the other room. If they had another over (Marlene this time) , then they got the couch bed in the living room, and a spare trunk was taken down from the attic for their item storage.

"So is it a work something, or a personal something that has you this worked up?" Ruvie seeing that her son was still half playing with his spoon that he had used to mix his coffee with as he was looking over some papers.

"Personal, but for a friend. I'm still debating on checking some of the information I learned about it with someone." Reeve biting his upper lip wondering how he was going to ask Tseng about some additional information about the class system and Wutai. He had learned, like most others that knew him, that his past there was a sore subject for him.

"Well, playing with your drink won't fix it. Just go for it, and deal with it as best as you can when things happen." Ruvie

"Thanks, I think I will just do that." Reeve as he goes back to his breakfast.

A short time later.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

"I'll get it." Marlene as she goes to get the door. It was Reeve and Denzels turn for dishes, and Ruvie and Elmyra were out back tending the flowers.

"Marlene." Tseng nodding his head in greeting.

"Mr. Tuesti, Mr. Tseng is here for you." As she pulls Tseng along with her into the kitchen.

Tseng sees Reeves jacket and tie on one of the chairs along with some documents out on the table. One document, or rather, one name on a document gets his attention, Seifer Almasy Strife.

"Marlene, it's alright to just call me Reeve. I hear Mr. Tuesti at work so much that some days I think I'll forget my first name." said in good humor as he puts on his jacket and tie. Now looks to Tseng to greet him, but stops as he sees what Tseng is now looking at with a mixture of: surprise, grief, wonder, and something like lose on his face as he moves to sit down and further read the file and now the information that was gathered by Vincent. Once he was done, he looked back up to Reeve silently asking about the information.

"Fill you in on the way to work, and in the office." Tilts his head over to Marlene who was now getting a little curious as to what the file and notes were. Normally she didn't get into what Reeve was working on (half of it was so over her she didn't under stand it, or was so classified she knew to keep out of it), but seeing the Turk so spooked by it did start to peek her interests.

"Sir." As Tseng gets up to go with Reeve in tow and goes back out to the car. Once inside the car and driving, Reeve notices that they are going the wrong way and asks why.

Tsengs only response was to call Reno and Rude and tell them to inform everyone that they would be late getting in.

Now out of the car and at there destination, Reeve sees that they are at Tsengs home, an old converted two level shop. Following him in and up to his living room (Tseng says it's on the top floor for security, Reno though says it's there so none of the Turks can't pass out on his couch if they have had one too many in the kitchen downstairs), he waits as here as Tseng asked.

About ten minutes later, there are some items and boxes now laying out on the small table in front of the couch. To Reeve the most interesting items were the scrapbook, given Tsengs privet nature, and the strange gun. In some ways the gun looked like it was a standard semi-automatic 9mm, but instead of steal it looked to be made out of some black crystal like substance. Another odd quality to it was that the trigger and trigger guard looked like smooth claws that were joined into the black crystal. That however paled into comparison to the dragon scaled like grip panels on ether side that seemed to grow out from the crystal. After seeing those two items, some of the other items now going onto the table were a little odd to be mixed. Like: a little piece of copper stained tan cloth, an odd tooth or feather form a random monster, a few old and empty snack and candy boxes from a brand that hadn't been around for a few years, and lastly a strange charm (about two feet long of braded strands that had a few beads and scraps of cloth mixed in that were tied onto a clip at ether side that on closer look seemed to be able to clip on to the gun or anything else that could take a standard clip, like a shirt, or be closed on to itself to make a necklace) that Tseng seemed to handle with more care then any of the other items.

"From what I can tell, from the file and the notes, you were planning on giving all of the information along with a talk from Jack to Cloud when he came back." Tseng

"Yes, I wanted to check out the information first, so I wouldn't give him the wrong information." Reeve

"Good, Cloud deserves that, and more, for all of what was done both to him and his father." Tseng

"You, knew Seifer?" Reeve

"Yes, from before he was married, and by the times shown here, a little after. He never told me about getting married, or the name change, but I think I know why on that." Looks to the scrap book thinking about all the times his mother would hold it at night thinking about Seifer. "If I had known about that, I would never have let anyone from this company even think about touching Cloud all those years ago." Tseng

"I know it's a sore subject for you, but could you help with what questions come up when he gets back, and what questions we may have when checking before he gets back." Reeve

"Yes." As Tseng now fingers the charm.

Reeve seeing that there was a story behind that particular item, and all the other items, looks to his watch and sees it isn't too early over in Nibelheim. Reeve, knowing Vincent would want to be in on the information, calls him at Tsengs Ok so he would be able to tell them both the information.

"I first met Seifer when my Uncle Po brought him back to Wutai when I was about five. I was a little shy with him being an outsider, but soon warmed up to him when he gave me some gummy worms (fingers the old empty package of gummy worms, a snack they often ate together). I also remember it was extremely obvious that most of the other people in Wutai didn't like that Uncle Po was teaching an outsider the skills that he had. He, like I, didn't care about that and just saw him a Seifer. Student and friend to Uncle Po, and "big brother" and care taker to mother and I when mom got sick there for a while. For two years he stayed and trained under Uncle Po. When not training, he taught me a little bit of some of the SeeD and Knight skills that he had already learned, when we went on little adventures around the land." Tseng as he looks over some of the odd items that were on the table.

"SeeD, Knight?" Reeve

"Yes, Uncle Po wasn't the first person to teach Seifer how to use a blade. SeeD was some form of military school that he said he went to for a while. I never was able to find anything about it when I looked for it. The Knight seemed to be more like training for protection of a magic user of some kind. I thought Aerith might be the type of someone at first, and so I kept her out of Hojos hands for as long as I could in honor of him, and later as a friend for both her and Zack." Tseng

"So, he stayed there till you were around seven receiving training, and training you then what? We have some of the information, but you were there when he left and came back." Vincent

"When he left for his master training he gave me the gun you see on the table (sends Vincent a photo over the phone) with the instructions on how to use it, and to protect those both he and I cared about. I never could figure out what it was made from. Even to this day I will only use it in extreme emergencies (thinks back to the last time a certain red headed Turk, though died black at the time, was caught when he was in deep cover at an under ground weapons plat), and even then only as a last ditch weapon. Not because it is a bad gun, it's one of the finest hand guns I have ever used, but because I never could figure out what it was made from. If something broke on it, I would never be able to fix it." Tseng

Both Reeve and Vincent see his point.

"When he came back to challenge Uncle Po, and discovered he was dead, it was like the world came out from underneath him. He did stay for a few days to get his things in order from there, but without the buffer zone of Uncle Po, things just went from bad to worse for him whenever he came after that. On one of his last visits, he gave both my mother and I several material and a large amount of Gil with the express warning to get out. It looked like Shinra was starting to look for more mako, and Wutai was starting to look good. We moved out not long after, and bought a home on the new Sector 3 plate where we lived till she died four years later. With mom now gone, and no real direction to follow , I moved over here and went to Shinra Academy for a fresh start. It was during that time I was approached by Verdot, and you can guess the rest." Tseng

"Thanks, that solves a few things that I was wondering about." Reeve

"You two as well. You both were able to find out some things I was never able to find out, on my own, on what happened to my old teacher and friend." Tseng still fingering the charm.

Reeve notices this and asks.

"Was the charm another gift like the gun?"

"As you read the braid that was at the base of his skull was to show connection to his training both as it and he grew. This braid was a second one he made for me above his own. The personal effects we got when traveling, or when I learned something new were decorated in to show my progress alongside his own. When asked why he was doing it, he said he was happy with how much I was growing along with him, and that this was his way of showing it. When he left, he cut it off and made the charm. Weaving it into my hair he said he wanted everyone to still be able to see how good I was when he wasn't around." Tseng

"You are going to be bring that to the meeting, right?" Vincent, said more as a statement realizing that that charm was now the only known physical peace of Seifer left on Planet.

"Of course, I owe Seifer. With him not around, and now knowing that he is Clouds father, that debt of gratitude will go to him." Tseng

Unheard on Reeves and Tsengs side, but now starting to be noticed by Vincent, were the sounds of some of the crews gathering outside of the Shinra Mansion getting ready to start the day.

"Tseng, Reeve I'm going to go over the short part three now with you both, the crews are here and starting their morning equipment checks." Vincent

"Ok, we're ready." Reeve as he grabs a paper and pen and Tseng grabs a recorder.

"There were two main skill sets that he had that seemed to defy logic. One set was in that he seemed to be able to draw out and cast magic from monsters that he fought. The other was his ability to survive multiple wounds that would normally kill the average man, or even Solider. The two main theories were: that he was ether an Ancient with his abilities in magic, or a mutant of some kind with his healing factor. Most of the other theories were all shot down given there bazaar and unsupportive data." Vincent now thinking of the one that said he was an alien form another world, after Seifer had drunkenly said so at a bar and started to babble some odd words. "You have anything you want to add to this Tseng?" Vincent

"Yes, he could do as you said and more. As far as the ability Draw and Cast magic he was taught that at Garden along with how to Junction something called a GF. With Draw you could draw out the power of others, and ether combine it with your own via Junction of a GF, or send it back to your enemies as a Cast spell. He taught me some of the basics of Draw and Cast. With the gun and charm I can Draw and Cast to a limited extent, but with no real training or knowledge of GF's both in what they were or how to Junction them, I was never able to Junction any spells outside of the charm or gun. The healing was more of a regeneration. From something as little as a paper cut, to several stab wounds he was always able to heal himself back up. Seifer said it was something from his time as a Knight, and only told Uncle Po some of how it worked. Did the file say anything about his Limits?" Tseng

"No, he seemed never use them." Vincent

"Then this part can get added, he only had one limit, Adaptation." Tseng

"Adaptation?" Vincent

"Yes, when in a bind he was able to adapt to something that would get him out of any situation. I've only seen him use it twice. The first time was to save me from some Razor Weeds that had cornered me when I was looking for some fire wood. He Adapted to gargoyle like creature, and shot several fireballs from his mouth. The other time was when one of the temples caught on fire. When the three of us went in to help get people out, several of the beams fell towards us. To save us, he changed into a large four legged centaur like monster with rock and ice spikes. The rock spikes were used to support the building long enough for everyone else to get out. The ice spikes were then used to help put out the fire and keep Uncle Po and myself safe. Only Uncle and myself saw the second transformation, as our original way out was blocked off from the fire, and anyone else was just trying to get out." Tseng now looks at the time and sees that they too needed to go.

"Tomorrow, then?" Tseng

"Yes." Both Reeve and Vincent.

With that, the call is ended. Tseng goes back to putting most of the items away, but keeps the gun out and loads it, switching it out from his normal 45ACP. In addition to that, he weaves back the charm into his hair. Reeve look over to Tseng in question, given how Tseng almost never deviates from the standard Turk uniform.

"As I said, I would only use the gun to protect those I care about. Right now with you doing all of this for Cloud, and letting me learn what happened Seifer after he left Wutai how can I not care. Also, after Cloud gets back, I will let him keep these two items if he chooses." Tseng as they exit his home and go to the Plaza.

I know Tseng seems a little OC and some of what he says counters what Seifer has said and shown about himself, but given the blow to his past and that time and youth have a way of distorting things. Now as to some action, things will now speed up. I just wanted to give a little more info of how things were working over in FF7, now that it is going to be extremely AU after the events of FF7. Next chapter you will learn more of who and a little what the mystery group is after, and what Cloud and company have been up to with the mako monsters. Thanks for reading, and as always respond.


	12. Seek and Destroy

Seek and Destroy

Seek and Destroy

Disclamer: I own nothing involving any of these fine copyrighted fictional people. True I may stick in the occasional OC just for kicks, but they are up for grabs if you want to use them in your fics. Well enjoy.

Cloud finally gets to fight in the story, and an unexpected twist or two is thrown into the mix.

Time and location: on the same day as Flight at the field that Jun and Seifer had fought a stealth cloaked Waya is taking some readings and getting some DNA samples with his two servants.

"Sir, I think I found something over here." Said the servant (clay golem with multicolored runes painted into his brown with black speckles rock skin with crystals acting as the: green eyes, clear nails, gray teeth, and black hair arranged into a short spiky cut) who was half embedded into the land as he starts to rise out to show Waya what he found.

"Isao stay linked to the land and just circle the area for me. I need you to help Leslie with the ground surveillance while she is in the sky. Unlike that idiot Sui I like to know what I'm up against without alerting everyone to my intentions." Waya

Waya goes to the now earthen encircled area that Isao found and sees the discarded cloth that Irvine had used to clean Seifers head wound and smiles.

"Isao, you have done well. This is exactly what we are looking for." Signals to both Isao and Leslie that it is time to go they now have what they were looking for.

Several hours later in one of the numerous caves that are in the mountains on the northern border of Balamb, Waya is going over the finding of the sample in his lab.

Waya thinking "The base looks human, but it seems that it is extremely unstable and mutated to an extent. Almost like it could go form one form, become undone, and then switch to another, strange. Sui said that he came from the other world, but she also said that it went with the SeeDs indicating that it ether could talk to them or it knew them. I'll set the scanners to look for anything that resembles this over on the other world, and I'll keep tabs on the sample here for now. Damn, why did this have to happen now? We were finally able to get out of our timeless prison with our master, thanks to the resent Time Compression, and even found a way to unbind what those damned Moon Children did to contain him, but then this has to come up."

"Found a DNA sample within the given data perimeters, awaiting orders." Computer

"Computer, show the sample." Waya

Cloud was fighting with Tifa and Cid against some of the mutated monsters from the Mako leak near the southern border of Rocket Town from the old Nibelheim pipe line that was no longer in service. Though Mako was now replaced by other means of energy (coal, oil, solar, wind, geo-thermal, and other sources now in the works) the old Mako lines had not been taken down as the resources that would have been used to take care of that were redirected to: reconstruction, renewal, and in Barrets case (as the new Director of Energy for Shinra) energy exploration. Leaving what was left to ether go back into the life stream, or to be contained into the lines till a better solution came. This normally worked out well, but from time to time a leak would happen. Avalanche or the Turks would take care of the resulting monster and reseal the leak.

"Isao, Leslie come to the main room I have a mission for you." Waya after watching the battle getting an idea what they would be up against.

"Sir." Leslie and Isao

"See the blond with the sword?" They nod, "I want you to get a reading of him and a sample brought back." Waya

"The others he is with?" Isao

"If you like, you can have a little fun with them. They show human, and have little to no real value in what we are after." Waya

"Should we contact Liza while we are there? It looks like they are in an area with similar, be it weaker, energy readings that she is looking into on the northern part of that world." Leslie

"No, though thank-you for pointing out the similarities in energies to me. For now our job is to look into the matter of the mystery man, and not potential life energy for our master when he is free." Waya as he dismisses the two to do their job and now redirects the computer to follow and record the mans actions. Once that is done he gates to the now empty commanders office to find a suitable location to plant a few more bugs to help figure out Gardens "new" gust.

Location and time: Rocket Town three days after chapter one in Cids workshop where he and the others (Cloud, Tifa, Shera) are ether resting from fighting, or in Sheras case working on the Shera, and just having a good time in each others company when one of the monitors that were used to check the energy around town for Mako leaks went off signaling an end to their fun.

"Cid, it's about a little to the southwest from where you were. Do you think a stray spell hit a pipe and it might have been missed?" Shera

"Hell if I know." Cid

"It could of happened, or one of the monsters damaged it when escaping. A few small ones went in that direction when I was taking care of some on my own in the area." Tifa

"I don't think it was them. I got them as I came up through the area to you." Cloud

"Well, in any case, we better check it out before anymore of those fuckers are made." Cid

With that the three fighters go back out to finish off one last round of monsters for the day.

Now at the location just southeast of town.

"This is the spot." Looks at the pipe and does a quick energy scan, but come up blank. "The hell is going on her?" Cid looking at the meter but keeping his spear out and ready for what may come.

"Could it of been a fluke?" Tifa scanning the area in a relaxed position, but still looking out ready to move at the slightest sign from the others or monster attack.

"Like we're that lucky, Tifa." Cid

"We're not alone." Cloud getting into a crouch and scanning the area looking for what was causing his Pre-Emptive Materia to glow softly indicating something was in the area.

Leslie and Isao were a little unnerved by Clouds apparent ability to sense them out and signaled each other to go with their second plan for obtaining the sample: distract, separate, and grab as plan one was now out, a quick sneak and grab.

"I don't know how you can do it yet, but that's one fine ability you have there." Leslie now coming into view.

"The hell?" Cid as the cigarette falls from his mouth as he tilts his head to the side trying to figure out just what the hell he was looking at. Physically it looked like a Pollensalta to him with wings coming out from its head and on the back from just above the tail bone. To add to the strange look of it were the cat slit eyes and the claws on the hands and feet. Also different were the cloths (where most Pollensalta were in what would be in a one peace she was in a: skimpy red bikini, black miniskirt, wore a black ribbon to keep her brown hair out of her face), and the weapon an assault rifle (M4 Custom).

"Cid, Tifa, there is another one somewhere around here as well." Cloud now picking up on Isao who was circling around from the right in the ground to the spot he had setup earler.

Isao thinking "I see why Waya wants him so much, and why Jun was killed by the other sample."

"Hey Leslie it looks like it's plan five now." Isao

"Right" Leslie now going into the air.

"Plan five?" Tifa looking for the source of the other voice.

"Kill the disposable ones, and take the sample back to the lab." As Isao forms three demonic faced human shaped rock monster from the ground to kill Tifa (around five foot eight inches tall with four foot long arms, interesting to note is that only from the torso up is out on the field. Giving the impression that they were wadding through the earth as they moved).

"Tifa!" As Cloud goes to her aid.

"I don't think so." With those words Leslie gates about ten imps in to keep Cloud and Cid back.

"Ah fuck, what the hell are these?" Cid going to the first Imp and slashing it, as it was still a little stunned from the gate, and making a quick motion to ready some dynamite to help Tifa if the chance came up.

Cloud didn't respond as he took care of another, and dogged a blind spell from the left as he broke his sword into two.

Tifa though only had her eyes on the three rock monsters, and was coming up with a plan as she dodged a few punches from them.

Tifa thinking "From the torso up is all that is out of the ground of these things, so what's controlling them has to be in the ground some where." Dodges another swing at her from the left and them rolls with the impact as she takes a hit from the right.

"Sense." Tifa looking for what was controlling the rock monsters and then finding it. It was about twenty feet northeast from her and below the ground. Tifa narrows her eyes and then casts Quake 3 at the spot. The results were instant. The monsters stopped moving and for a brief moment she could see something come out of the ground and go back into it. Once back into the ground the monsters started back up again.

This didn't go unnoticed by Cloud and Cid who nodded at each other forming a plan to help Tifa. Cloud started the first move by slowly moving to the southeast in a slow arc motion with Cid cutting more of a diagonal in the same direction sealing off the Imps. At first this might look like they were moving back, but then Cid shifted to make a V cut about halfway between Tifa and Isao to complement the arc Cloud was slowly making it allowed them to slowly get in back and closer to Isao. Leslie was no idiot, but she was a little lacking in battle experience, and didn't see what they were after just gating more Imps in, and taking shots at them when the Imps left openings. Isao might have noticed their plan, as he was more experienced, but his attention was on the monster as he could only control the monsters he made if he was stationary, and in the same place he was when he made them. Tifa though did see what they were planning, and was all to happy to not go back to Quaking Isao and just focused on the rock monster.

It didn't' take too long after Cids V cut for both to now be behind Isao. Now that they were in position Cid nods to Cloud and they break apart. Cid moving south and launching into a Dragon Dive to play havoc and dislodge Isao. Cloud then uses Cids attack, witch distracted Leslie and the Imps, to do a Finishing Touch sucking the remaining Imps up to and hitting Leslie causing her to fall and killing most of the remaining Imps. Tifa though surprise Cid after the Dragon Dive as she cast slow keeping Isao out long enough so She to could join Cid in attacking him. Which proved to be a good thing, as she was able to damage his gate device that was on his right side so he couldn't gate away.

Isao, knowing when he is beat, starts to retreat towards Leslie hoping that her gate device was still active stopped when he saw her left head wing be cut off by Cloud and go down screaming clutching the now bloody stump.

"Leslie." Isao as he shoots out several black crystal spikes at Cloud.

Cloud manages to deflect or doge most, but one managed to loge into his left thy causing him to stager and kneel down, leaving him open just long enough for Leslie to slash at his ankle keeping him down.

"Cloud." Tifa rushing to help Cloud with a Cure 2.

"You son of bitch!" Cid as he lunges and then stabs Isao with Venus Gospel in the back hard enough to come out through the chest killing him.

Leslie, seeing Isao was dead and Cloud was now immobile making him easy to take, grabbed Cloud and prepared to gate. Just as the gate was forming a white winged projectile came from left side and broke the gate device causing it to short out and recoil back onto her, killing her and leaving Cloud to hold her body. Cloud now looking in the direction that the projectile went back to, sees two travel weary fighters and a strange gray wolf.

The male was tall and muscular and was wearing: black wired shades with red lenses, and a hat that covered most of his short sliver hair. The rest of the ensemble was: an old gray coat, pair of faded blue jeans, brown boots, and a blue travel pack.

The woman, who had saved Cloud and was now talking to the man in a quit whisper, was dressed a little more openly. She wore a hat like the man, but her long black hair wasn't tied back, and had no shades showing her brown eyes. The blue coat she wore was open, showing her black tank top under it. Tan cargo pants, black boots, and a silver pack made-up the rest of her gear.

"Hey," Cid said in greeting getting the three new arrivals attention, "thanks for the help."

The wolf now moves to Cid starts to rub its head on Cids leg in a you're welcome gesture. Cid seeing that kneels down to scratch the wolf only to feel something odd under the neck. Curiously he looks under to see what it was only for the wolf to raise its head allowing Cid to see a face of a man there with his eyes closed. Cid shocked by this falls back on his ass and is about to comment when the silver haired man says.

"Don't worry, Angeal won't hurt you. He's just having a little fun messing with you."

"Angeal?" Cloud recognizing the name, but unable to place it.

Tifa now finished with Cloud goes up the two travelers sticks her hand out and says, "Thank-you also for the help. My name is Tifa, the blond chain smoker over there is Cid," Cid smirks at this and waves, "and my friend on the ground over here is Cloud. So who are you?"

"Rinoa." Rinoa then looks at the other wondering how to explain him.

"Our names are Loz and Zack Fair, but you can call us LZ for short." LZ

I left a hint a while back that I would do something big with Rinoa and this is the start of it. The next chapter is going to fill in on how Zack is in Loz and what he, Loz, was doing with Rinoa and not his brothers. Now for the reasoning of the wolf from AC being an Angeal copy. At the end of CC the winged A-Hound that Angeal was using some how made it form the church to Banora just in time to help Lazard save Cloud. The distance was never specified, but it had to be a bit away from the city, so I got to thinking that Angeal used the life stream to go to Banora by means of turning into it (like he did at the end of the game). By doing this he could also go to and possess anyone of the copies at any given time, with this time being the gray wolf from AC. Till next time and as always read and respond.


	13. Connection

Time and place: Just after LZ said their name

Connection

Thanks Midnight Phase for the: Review, Author Alert, Favorite Author, and Story Alert. As you saw in the preview I sent you, as a review to one of your stories, I'm giving what you suggested a try.

So how did the odd team up of: Rinoa, Zack, Loz, Angeal, and two others not named prevously happen.

Disclaimer: I own nothing involving any of these fine copyrighted fictional people. True I may stick in the occasional OC just for kicks, but they are up for grabs if you want to use them in your fics. Well enjoy.

Time and place: Just after LZ said their name.

"Zack!?" Cloud attempting to stand so he could go over and ether confirm or deny the standing mans connection to his dead friend.

"Sort of." LZ goes over to sit next to Cloud, after seeing Clouds struggle to stand with his bad leg, taking off the shades and hat showing the silver hair and cat slit mako eyes.

"The body is Lozes. I'm just along for the ride in this." Undoes the front of the coat to reveal a red under shirt and a silver necklace with a green glowing mako stone. Taking the chain so that the stone is now suspended in front of Clouds eyes Cloud is now able to look into it. Floating around inside the stone, with a peaceful sleeping look to him, is Zack.

"How?" Cloud not trusting himself to say more for the fear of his voice cracking.

"It's a long story." LZ looks around and then motions to the dead bodies and that it is late. "Do you have someplace where we could talk."

"My workshop is just north of here." Cid hooking his thumb back over his shoulder pointing out the trail to town.

"Workshop?" Rinoa now looks over to LZ and asks. "You think she was talking about him.?"

"She?" Tifa wondering if there was another one to their party.

LZ looks over to Tifa and Rinoa and says, "Rinoa maybe, and Tifa the woman we met never gave us a name, but she is linked to all of this somehow. The only things that we know about her is: she has a taste for bird themed masks and cloths, has a habit of showing up just to give us enough information to confuse us more, knows far more then what she is telling us, and for now seems to be on our side." LZ, now standing, goes over to Isaos body and retrieves what is left of his gate and does the same with Leslie.

Rinoa seeing the others looks at what LZ had done explains, "What he was getting is what's left of their gate devices. The gate device allow you to travel between Planet and Gaia somehow. The winged one over there was trying to take Cloud somewhere when I stopped her."

"Gaia?" Tifa tilting her head in question trying to think if she had heard of it somewhere before asking Rinoa about it.

"Gaia is another world, my world." Rinoa answering the unspoken question.

"Your world." Cid reflectively moving a little into an attack stance thanks to the last alien he met.

Rinoa seeing the subconscious moves Cid makes puts her hands up and says, "Don't worry I'm not like Jenova, I just want to go home."

LZ goes to Cloud and picks him up supporting him on his injured side so he can limp back to the workshop.

"Good?" LZ looking at Cloud who is now doing a few experimental steps with LZ using him as a human crutch.

"Yeah, Cid?" Cloud asking for Cid to lead the way back.

Cid nods his head towards the trail and says, "Lets go."

Location: the break room in Cids workshop with everyone now seated around a recently cleared table.

"Alright, spill it." Cid looking to LZ and Riano

Riano looks to LZ and motions for him to go first.

"You sure? Your part in this starts before mine." LZ looking to Riano

Riano nods her head for him to go.

"Alright, but Loz is going to have to give his information as well. Are you ready for that?" LZ looking back to her.

"Yes." Riano going over to stand behind LZ and putting her hands on his shoulders, "Loz, can you tell your big brother and his friends what you told Aunty Riano and her friends?"

LZ closes his eyes and rolls his head back as the charm glows. Once the glowing stops his head moves back up and he blinks a little. "Only if they also promise to get my brothers back, like you did."

Where Tifa and Cid were more focused on the change in voice (harsher pitch lacking the friendly energy that gave it the Zack quality) and posture (sits more ridged as if not quite sure if the rest in the room were friend or foe). Cloud was more focused on what was said.

"Brothers?" Cloud getting, and not liking the idea that was forming in his head on that answer.

"Yeah, Kadaj and Yazoo." Loz looking at Cloud.

Cloud looks to the others: Cid shrugs and Tifa nods to give the go-ahead, "I promise to help you find your brothers."

Loz nods his head and starts to tell his part of the story, "About a month ago, when we were looking for mother in the north, Yazoo saw some odd monsters and asked us to help him with them. When we went back to the spot where he found them, a strange looking woman with green hair came into view and started to direct some of the monsters. Kadaj wasn't happy, but all she was doing with them was digging some holes, so he figured just wait and see. It was getting late, and they seemed to be setting up camp to stay in that area, so we figured we would go back to looking for mother the next day. We thought we were out of sight, but she had to of known where we were, because as soon as their camp was out of our sight, we were attacked.

Yazoo was the first to be taken out of action. Two blue dragons of some kind did something that put a lot of status damage on him, making him go crazy. Kadaj tried to help him by tossing a remedy his way, but Yazoo shot at it before it could help him. All we could do for him after that was to take damage for him.

Kadaj was the next to go, taken out by the woman when she decided to join in the fight. She sent a blast form the side that separated him form us. I lost sight of them for a while, but the next time I saw them brother had jumped to a ridge above the woman and then dropped to strike her. It looked like he had her, but as soon as his sword hit her he started to scream. I don't know what it was, but some kind of energy went through him when he hit her.

With no other option, I decided to knockout Yazoo and escape so we could come back and get Kadaj from the camp later. Just as I went to deliver the blow Yazoo turned and attacked me knocking me over the cliff that we were on. He may not look like it, but when he feels like it, Yazoo can hit and hit hard. I woke up the next day and climbed back to the top to see if I could see ether Yazoo or Kadaj. Nothing, everything was gone. Not knowing what else to do I decided to go back to our camp in the City of the Ancients, to heal and figure out what to do from there. When I got there Aunty Riano was there, and was using our camp." Loz smiles and moves his head back to look at Riano.

"It was a good thing too, you were about dead when I found you by the shell house. Loz, can you please stop here? I need to tell the others about my world, and how I came here before we can continue, or else it will be a little confusing for them." Rinoa going to Lozes side and taking his hand as she sits down back down on her chair.

"Ok." Loz nodding his head in understanding.

"As I said, I'm not form this world. The world I come from has no: material, mako, or current examples of any type of Shinra. What we do have that you don't seem to have is: Guardian Forces, draw, junction, Knights, and Sorceresses. Draw and junction, and Guardian Forces work as my worlds basic magic system. You draw out the magic of your target or draw point, and then junction (combine it) to yourself, or you can cast it back all with the help of a Guardian Force. A Guardian Force is a powerful spirit that helps you when certain conditions are met, like beat it in battle or make an item for it. Though there is a cost to the person using a Guardian Force. To keep the help of the Guardian Force that you befriend, you need to allow them to live in your head. Basically it comes down to an exchange of power form a powerful spirit for your memories. Thankfully if you keep a journal, or don't use GFs often, the memory loss is little to none.

The only exception to this would be with Knights and Sorceresses. Sorceresses have an almost limitless potential to use magic in anyway without the need for a Guardian Force, so long as they are trained properly. The down side to this is the potential for madness, this is where the Knight comes in. A Knight acts like a sheath protecting the Sorceresses form both outside forces that would use her power, and from herself when the power becomes too much for her. I am a Sorceresses, and Loz is now my Knight as I was separated from my Knight Squall when I came over here.

About six weeks ago on Gaia SeeD, a fighting school of sorts that Squall and I work for, received some information about some energy wakes from some former students. The three that gave us the information weren't the most trusted, but what they did say and show in their report was compelling. Squall decided to allow the scanners at Balamb Garden to be set to look for the signals. At first all we got were a few small wakes. As the days went on, the energy wakes became bigger and closer to the city of Balamb. Not long after that came the reports from students and the people of Balamb of strange random monsters of unknown type and species. Squall decided to have two teams setup to deal with the monsters: one permanent team of he and myself at the city, and one at B-Garden for support. This worked well when we started it, but within the week that followed the energy readings from the wakes started to clime both by the city and soon all over the world."

"Wait you said weird monster with energy wakes, right?" Cid starts to draw a crude representation of the imps that they fought. "Do you have monsters like this from where you're from?"

"That looks like an Imp. They're found around Esthar and are immune to earth and are strong against poison." As she studies the drawing getting lost in thought.

Angeal rubs his head into Rinoa leg breaking her from her thoughts and getting her back on to her side of the story.

"It was about four weeks ago, as I was fighting with Squall, that we became separated during one of the wakes. Just when it looked like we had things under control, three large lizard monsters with tridents surprised Squall from the side by jumping down from a high height. I sent my dog Angelo to help him, as I was protecting the entrance to Balamb. The next thing I remember was this screeching sound followed by vertigo and then darkness. I don't know how long I was out, but when I came to I found that I was alone and in an empty city with the day almost coming to an end. Not knowing what else to do, I went looking for a place to stay for the night. After checking a few of the buildings, I noticed that one of the shell homes looked lived in. With no other options, I went in and stayed the night.

For the next five days I explored the city using the brothers camp for a place to stay and rest. It was during this time that I was able to discover three things. One, I wasn't the first to have come over here from my world, thanks to a journal and packet that I found. Two, with my abilities as a Sorceress I could operate the Ancients artifacts and get a feel for the magic of this world. Three, Planet doesn't know what to make of me, so I have a few protectors from here keeping an eye on me." Looks down to Angeal and smiles. "Not that I mind the extra company.

It was getting late on the fifth day that Loz came back half dead and almost falling off of his bike. With Angeals help I was able to drag him over to the healing pool near the center of the city. I was able to patch him up there physically, but mentally without his brothers link he was a wreck. Knowing that, and wanting to help him, I asked the two other protectors if Knighting him to myself was OK. They said it was OK by the Planet, but only if one of them could also come along as well. With Loz and myself still in the pool the first one entered. No good, she was completely incompatible with what we needed to do with her connection to the Planet."

"She?" Cloud mills it over some more, "Aerith!?"

"Yes, and as to the how. With my ability to use the Ancients artifacts I was able to reactivate some of the city, this allowed her spirit to travel around the city to a limited extent. Now as to the other protector you can see he is working out well." Riano smiling at the pendant that starts to glow.

First off sorry about the long wait, school has started back up again and when you go part-time and work full-time time writing for fun tends to vanish. As far as the story goes: this will not be a Loz and Rinoa pairing (interesting pairing though), the physical aspects that they were showing was more of a trust then a lust. As for Loz calling Rinoa Aunty she reminds him of Jenova in that they are both powerful aliens and have a connection to him. Next chapter will go back to FF8 with Seifer dealing with how he has changed and Gaia hasn't, how Cloud got his name, and what Waya has planed for him.


	14. Names

"So, what did Mr

Names

Thanks again for the review Midnight Phase and I hope you got the response for the review, and if you didn't, I'm reposting it at the bottom.

Thanks also go out to TOWTWUKER for putting me on your Story Alert list.

Some more insight on Seifer and Cloud as well as B-Garden coming under enemy control. Also ever wonder if anything else could happen to a Knight.

Disclamer: I own nothing involving any of these fine copyrighted fictional people. True I may stick in the occasional OC just for kicks, but they are up for grabs if you want to use them in your fics. Well enjoy.

"Squall just ask it already." Seifer looking back to Squall in the front cabin of the truck after his repeated glances in the mirror to look back to both he and Remmey in the rear cabin of the truck. The truck being one of the ones normally used to transport sick or injured chocobo, but when you have a mid sized behemoth to move, it works just as well.

"What is it like over there?" Squall glancing back.

"It's a nice place, so long as you know what you are doing, and are able to get some friends and family." Seifer smiling thinking about: Po, Iris, Cloud, Tseng, and Jack.

"So other then being normal, what's Cloud like?" Zell now getting curious as to what Seifers family was like as he was quite throughout the flight back after he settled down on the top of the jet.

"A lot like his name sakes, trouble. But he's well worth the time it takes to fix any problem he gets into, once you know him." Seifer thinking about the tendencies his two best friends from this world shared with his son.

"Name sakes? So, he was named after two people. Who?" Irvine now getting into it as he was also curious.

"Fujin and Raijin. Fuijin (wind) and Raijin (thunder), so I got to thinking what do both the wind and thunder have in common?" Seifer leaving it open for the others to guess.

"Clouds." Irvine getting the hint Seifer left them. "Thunder from storms to attack and protect them and winds guide them on their journeys."

"Correct." Seifer as he goes back to scratching Remmey and starts to growl softly to him filling him in on the conversation as he had poked his head up at the mention of Cloud.

Squall looks curiously to the others at this, and Zell fills him in that this was the growl talk he reported about. Squall nods his head as he half watches them in the mirror, trying to pick his next opening in questioning the half weapon. Once it seemed that the growing had stopped Squall went back to questioning Seifer.

"Did you see, or hear, of anyone else that might have been taken over to Planet?" Squall looking back to Seifer in the mirror again.

"No, but then again Planet is a big place, and I never really looked after the first year." Seifer wondering as to what Squall was really after and asks, "So, who else is missing?"

"Rinoa." Squall not looking back to Seifer in the mirror.

"Squall pull the fuck over now and get out of the truck." Seifer looking worried as he goes over some nasty possibilities from that answer.

"What?" Squall confused at Seifers sudden change in mood.

"Squall you ether pull over now, or I destroy the truck to make you stop." Seifer now reaching over to grab and lightly squeeze Squalls arm in the front cabin changing his fingers into clawed digits to show he wasn't bluffing.

Squalls eyes widen at the change as he pulls over. Seifer removes his arm from the front cabin once the truck stops, changing the claws to fingers once more. Now with everyone out of the truck, Seifer pulls Squall to the side leaving a confused: Remmey, Zell, and Irvine to wonder what was going on as he starts to sniff Squall over and do a few scans.

"You got any clue as to what he's doing?" Irvine to the other two with him.

"Nope, and I don't think our new four legged friend will be able to answer us ether." Zell half jokingly looking over to a pacing Remmey to lighten the shift in moods.

"I'm looking to see if we might have another Weapon on our hands later." Seifer looking over to the others.

"What!?" Squall taking a step back in shock.

"Hold still I'm almost done." Seifer going back to checking him over. A few minuets later after some more sniffing and a few pokes, Seifer is done.

"All clear, no signs of you becoming a Weapon, or anything else." Seifer calming back down.

"Anything else?" Irvine glancing to Seifer to see if he could talk about it.

"Wrath, Demon, or Lesser Being, and yeah I can give you the basics. A Wrath is the spirit of a dead Knight who lost his Sorceress to unknown means, and is unable to confirm her status at the time of his death. They are usually harmless, unless they think you have the information they need, then they are extremely deadly. Demon is a Knight who's Sorceress was killed in battle by an enemy who violated her right in front of her contained Knight. As soon as she dies the change happens turning the Knight into a berserker capable of killing off whole armies, or villages, without any thought going through his head other then revenge. The last one isn't so much as a becoming as it is more letting go, hence the name Lesser Being. The best way to describe it is de-evolving into something that has no past or future mentality, only just a here and now survival in its simple mind." Seifer sees Squalls thoughtful look and says. "Don't worry, we know how she disappeared, where she is at now, and you have the added bonus of the D.C. with you this time we're good." Seifer giving Squall a pat on the shoulder showing he was serious about giving the help.

Squall nods his head to Seifer and asks, "Is there is anything more I may have to worry about?"

"No, for now, and what few things that may come up." Points to Irvine and Zell, "I'll tell you later." As Seifer starts to head back to the truck.

Irvine shakes his head and asks as he follows him back to the truck with the others, "Seifer, how much of what you just said did you know about before the war?"

"All of it." Seifer not looking back to him.

"Seifer," Squall grabbing his shoulder to make him stop and look at them. "All of what you know about what you told us, or all of what you know about Knights and Sorceresses?"

"A good 85 of what I know about Knights and Sorceresses I learned before the war. The rest of it I learned ether during or after it." Seifer looking at them.

"Thanks, for not using it on us." Zell looking at Seifer.

"Don't," turns around and enters the back of the truck and lets Remmy in, "I failed." As he closes the door.

The others soon follow getting into the front cabin as they continue on to B-Garden thinking about what was said, not knowing that the one who had been following them form the air strip stayed behind. Smiling in the departing groups direction the stealth cloaked bird masked woman gates back to Planet thinking, "Seifer, you didn't fail. You saved me."

Time and location: Just as the truck is coming into B-Garden parking garage, Scott Smith (one of the attendants) is running towards the truck with Angelo in a heap in his arms.

Squall seeing this quickly parks and goes over to the two and says. "Status."

"I was going to get Angelo for you when you got back, and when I went up to get him, he was growling at your office door. I opened it up only to see something at the computer, with the two SeeDs in there standing as still as dolls. Next thing I know, Angelo attacks the thing at the computer, and gets smacked back towards me. The thing that really gets me is the SeeDs, they just crumpled to the floor after that. Seeing as fighting isn't my thing, I grabbed Angelo and hit the alarms, but nothing happened. Knowing that you would be back, I ran down here trying to tell any SeeDs what I saw, but they were all in a daze. I don't know what's going on, but we need to get whatever it was up there out of there." Scott looking worried.

"Thanks." Squall and hands him a hi-potion for Angelo. Once he knows that they are good he signals the others to follow. Going into the main hall they could see every student and SeeD on the ground. Irvine goes to one of the fallen students to check for a pulse as Seifer begins to sniff around with Remmey.

"Kid has a pulse and is breathing. If I didn't know any better I would say he was sleeping." Irvine looking to Squall.

"I can't smell anything out of the ordinary, and nether can Remmey." Seifer trying to figure out what caused this.

"Intruder Alert. Three males and one monster on the main hall. All SeeDs proceed to eliminate." Came a cold voice from the intercom.

"What the?" Zell looking at the "sleeping" SeeDs as they stand and draw their weapons targeting them.

"Sound." Seifer as he starts to shoot the intercoms after splitting his gunblade into its two parts as the noise from it was giving him a small headache.

"What?" Squall as he parries a spear attack from a male SeeD.

"Whoever that was is controlling them with sound." Seifer as he doges a knife thrown from an unknown SeeD from the second floor and shoots out another speaker.

"So any ideas on how to free them." Irvine using his gun like a club to knock out a gloved female fighter.

"A few, but we need to get back to the garage to secure the guy and the mutt first." Seifer wanting to check out Scott to confirm what he was hearing as the four of them made it back to the garage, knocking out or casting stop on any SeeDs in their way.

After they made it back to the garage Seifer closed the door and punched a code in locking it out completely from the main security hub, to everyone else's surprise. Once done he went over to Scott and looked to his ears and smiled at what he saw, hearing aids in both ears. Scott needed them, thanks to the war, when an explosion happened near him causing some hearing loss. Seifer then looked to everyone and gathered them near and began to explain his plan.

"Siren, for lack of a name, is controlling everyone with sound over the intercom, and our buddy here," looks at the name tag "Scott just confirmed it. So I got to thinking what would happen if we split off into two teams. One going around back to get to him, and the other to give orders with his voice to confuse the SeeDs and distract him."

"Nice idea, but how, and how did you know about the sound?" Squall wondering how they were going use some unknown back entrance way to the command office, and how Seifer heard something that none of the others could hear.

"Simple, I still have the lockout codes for this place, along with my knowledge of all the back service entrances, from when I worked for Norg. Hence the trick I just pulled locking Siren and the SeeDs out of here. The sound was first clued off by the headache that the intercoms were giving me." Seifer looking to Squall.

"Ok, so we get to Siren, but how do we keep him out of our heads, and how dose the other team give out other orders?" Zell being as Irvine and Squall were milling over the last part.

"Simple" Seifer says in a voice matching the one from the intercom then switching back to his own and says. "When team two is going up they wear head phones with music, of some kind, blasted loud enough to block out the sound. While my team one goes to a work station outside of the system to play havoc with our guest."

Squall mills it over and says "I'm team one not two."

Seifer smiles and says, "Fine it's "your" Garden."

With that Seifer draws out a map for the SeeD's (fighting ability) and Remmey (nose and fighting ability) going over some of the doors and codes with Squall. While that is going on Irvine and Zell look for walkmans and start to set them up to play the loudest and most irritating songs they could find on a loop. Scott was watching the door, through all of this, and wondering who the new guy was and the monster as he held the still out of it Angelo.

"Everyone set?" as Squall looks over the group.

"Yeah, and here." Zell hands over a walkman to Squall and then tries to give one to Seifer who shakes his head.

"My inner ear is a little different now, so I should be good." As he hands the head phones back to Zell.

Zell scratches his head and gives Seifer a questioning look.

"I may look human on the outside, but inside that's another story." Then signals them to follow him to an old closet with a broken power outlet in it. Tapping the wall above the outlet in a few places he causes a panel pop out from power outlet. Then after typing in a few codes into the panel, and pushing it shut, the wall moves back to reveal a passage. Once everyone was in the wall went back into place. Squall nodded to Seifer and his team goes off in one direction, with Seifers going the other.

Location: at the workstation with: Seifer, Scott, and Angelo; Seifer is putting in some codes when Scott askes.

"Not to sound stupid, but just who are you? You know this place inside and out, and you said you worked for Norg, but you don't look like any of the old staff that was around." Seifer looks up and at him debating on what to tell him when Angelo starts to move a little as he wakes from his fight and begins to growl in Seifers direction.

Seifer thinking as he goes to Angelo, "So you remember me mutt?",smiling at the dog as he goes up to him and casts stop on him along with a cure 2 to help with his recovery.

"Why did you?" Scott looks to the now frozen Angelo and then at Seifer wondering if he had tricked them.

"I did that so he wouldn't attack me while I was helping the others. I smell like Remmey and considering he is a monster, you do the math." Seifer hoping that the half truth would work.

Scott seems to buy it and says, "Makes sense, but you still never gave me a name, or how you know so much about this place from working for Norg."

"My name is Strife." The computer beeps indicating that he was in, and able to use the emergency intercom. "Any requests for the SeeDs?" As Seifer looked at the monitor showing some of the security feed.

"Requests?" Scott looking confused at.

Seifer in the Sirens voice " Attention all SeeD's, jump up three times and then sit on the floor and cluck like a chicken."

Though slower to react then when the real Siren said it, they did it.

Thanks again for the review Midnight Phase, and to answer the name question Seifer used a saying: rainy days bring cloudy nights. It will have a few meanings in the story, and Clouds name came from one of them. I'll give you the long answer of it first then the short.

The meaning that he, Seifer, used to name Cloud with was the "rainy days", thunder (Raijin) and wind (Fujin) of a rain storm, "bring cloudy nights", if they didn't bring him out of his after war depression there would be no more nights with them together. Basically it comes down to Seifer naming Cloud after his two best friends who kept him alive, and honoring them by keeping their memory alive for the next generation.

Also to note: the Siren is Waya and no he doesn't know that his assistants are dead, yet, as he has his hands full with this conflict. Next chapter will finish off this conflict as well as give a little information as to some of the work that the D.C. did for Norg. Till next time and as always read and review and I will get back to you.


	15. Dad

Dad?

Ever wonder if all that a gate did was just take you from world to world. The fight for B-Garden closes as well.

Thanks go out to: The Invisible Fan and Midnight Phase for the reviews. Thanks also go out to 97heather for putting me on your story alert list.

Location and time: the back service corridors of B-Garden not long after Seifer started to mess with everyone. Squalls group is coming to their first checkpoint with security monitors.

"I never knew the cafeteria ladies could do the can-can dance so well." Irvine writing on a shared pad for communications, as they couldn't hear each other, and only Zell had some knowledge in Sign.

Zell snorts and then directs Irvine to another monitor where a few SeeDs are running around and acting like farm animals. "Xu dose a good impression of a goat."

Squall, though amused at the group of younger students at the quad decorating the stage in a way that would give an impressionist nightmares for months, grabs their attention and writes. "Mission."

"Killjoy." Writes Irvine smirking at Squall as he follows him out the exit with Zell next, wondering if he could use the security feed on the lunch ladies to get more hotdogs, and Remmey taking the rear.

Location: The commanders office with one pissed Waya trying to get in a word edge wise over Seifer as he plays havoc with his commands.

Waya screaming into the intercom microphone, "Stop that. Find the intruders!"

"After you play a few rounds of mini-golf in the cafeteria, Flo and Rita stack the pans and pots and get it ready." Seifer blocking out Waya once more with the separate emergency system.

"Damn you, who are you?" Waya as he goes over the system once more trying to look for whatever station or program Seifer was using to give out the commands.

"I am Y. O. U. you!" Seifer smirking into the separate intercom transmitter as he hears Waya scream once more.

Location and time: In a service room above the commanders office Squall is going over the final preparations with his team on the pad.

"We should be in the main utility room for most of Gardens communications and above my office. Irvine when I give the signal blast a hole (Irvine shooting at pack of some extra Demolition ammunition) on the north-east corner so the Siren will go for it thinking that is our entry. Zell wait about eight seconds then use a Fraga to blast a hole into the south-west corner for Remmey and I to take him by surprise. Once we make contact with the enemy, I want Irvine on healing and shields with Zell on the attack." Squall looks up to see if they had it, as once they were fighting they would be cut off from each other as far as on the fly communications. Zell nods his head and gives a thumbs-up, Irvine nods as well as he takes his hat off and starts to slowly crawl over to setup the pack, not give themselves away to the screaming Waya below them. Once done he nods to Squall and Zell to take cover with Remmey behind some vents.

BOOM!

"AAAHHHHH!" Waya as a chunk of shrapnel lodges into his arm as he dives to the side of the desk opposite of the blast now exposing his back and, unknowingly, leaving the intercom on.

BOOM!

"Go, Kill, Remmey!" Squall as he gives Remmey one of the commands to kill that Seifer taught him.

"RA-HA." Remmey taking and landing the first strike to Wayas exposed back damaging his gate and drawing blood.

Squall follows with a strike of his own, but it is blocked by a wall of cloth strips that now shields Waya who is casting curaga on himself. Once healed, the cloth parts and starts to move giving the SeeDs and Remmy their first real look at Waya. Around six foot tall with yellow skin with blue scales in patches and hair that is brown short and spiky. Clothing is: black glasses over red eyes, green tank-top with black leather pants, and brown biker boots. Weapon of choice is a black sash that comes out of a tan back-pack and slides through brown wrist gantlets on either arm with weights tied on the ends that seem to move on their own. Now healed he looks to his back seeing the damaged gate. Seeing as he now can't gate away he sends out a signal for his servants to come.

Three things quickly happen after that: one his call wakes up Rinoa and LZ, two the SeeDs take that time to seal the exits (Squall ices over the blast hole to the northeast with a blizzaga, Zell casts stop on the front door, and Irvine casts: shell, protect, and stop on the balcony doors as he guards the southwest entrance), three alerting a certain bird themed lady she could now start to go through Wayas lab without interference.

Time and location: just after the first blast with Seifers group.

"The hell?" Seifer to the two now fuzzy monitors that had been showing some of B-Gardens security feed. Starts to types in a few commands in, but stops when he hears the sounds of the second blast and the fight.

Thinking "Shit, they're already there, and with the monitors out I can't tell how they are doing other then the sound."

"Scott grab the mutt we're going to the commanders office." Seifer as he locks up the workstation.

"What about distracting the SeeDs and students?" Scott as he picks up Angelo.

"I don't know if you can hear it, but Remmey and the SeeDs are now at it with the Siren. I'm thinking support is better then a distraction now." Seifer as he casts haste on both of them as they start to go to Squalls office.

Time and location: back at Squalls office Irvine has just cast Protect on: Zell, Squall, and Remmy.

"Remmy, Front, Slash, Sides, Open" Squall as he goes to the right as giving Remmey the front and Zell the left side of Waya. Remmy taking the lead goes back to a direct frontal attack drawing one of the two ends of the sash in his direction. Squall and Zell take the laps in defense to attack both sides. Squall is blocked with the other half of the sash, but Zell is able to lad a hit to Wayas ribs cracking three before ducking back avoiding a kick.

"Dispell" Waya as he goes for the door to the left and is able to get to the next room only to come face to face with a smiling Seifer leveling a gun at him. Swinging one side of the sash over to knock Seifer away, he jumps to the other side trying to doge.

BANG!

"Ahh!" as a round hits Wayas leg as Seifer moves to the right. This dose two things, one prevents Waya from getting to the next room, and two it gives the SeeDs a chance to come into the next room.

Thinking "Seifer?" Zell wondering why he was here now like the other two SeeDs.

In Wayas voice after reading the SeeDs expression of shock "Like I would let you kill this bastard without me at lest getting a shot in." Seifer smiling at Wayas look of shock.

"Damn you." As Waya turns in his direction

"What can I say I live to piss-off." Seifer smiling knowing that his taunts were getting Waya more focused on him and not the SeeDs and now Remmey.

Time and location: the night of the meeting between LZ and CO. and Cloud and CO., Cloud is up and just getting out from using the bathroom when he notices the living room light on with an excited Rinoa looking to LZ and his pack. Getting curious he goes up to see what has their attention and goes quit. From the side pocket that the gates are in you could hear the sound of fighting.

"Damn you…" (….. will be static crackle), Waya from the damaged gates in the pack.

"….say….live…." Seifer from the Pack followed by the sounds of cloth tearing and the sounds of human and monster cries of battle.

"You!" Waya followed by the sounds of his death as both Squall and Remmey land blows after Zell knocked him off balance opening him up for Squall to land a blow to the back of his neck and Remmey to the cloth strips tearing them to shreds.

"I….take them…now." Squall now from the pack.

"Squall!" Rinoa now going to the pack and opening the side pocket.

LZ and Cloud share a look at that, knowing that this was their first real chance of communication and split. LZ going to Rinoa to prevent her from messing with the damaged gates, Cloud getting Cid and Shera as they would be the best as how to work the gates.

A little later with everyone now in various stages of wakefulness a night dressed Shera is soldering a lose connection between one of the communicators when Seifer says over it.

"Did you hear that?" as he starts to look around.

"Hear what?" Squall wondering what Seifer was hearing now.

"Thought I head the sound of something getting fixed from over here." Seifer not knowing that his words had caused an instant reaction on Clouds side.

"Squall." Rinoa with Loz hovering over her giving his support.

"I think I got it." As Shera now stops soldering the wires and says "I think all we need to do now is just press here." She dose it, "Hello can you here me over there?"

"Uh, yes." Zell eyeing Wayas corps that was now talking in a woman's voice.

Shera beckons Rinoa over and presses the button again. "I have someone over here that would like to talk to one of you. Rinoa, "all heads that know her in the room go to the corpse" go for it."

"Squall! Thank Hyne you're ok. I was so worried that I would never see you again." Rinoa to the communicator.

"Rin how's the cake." Squall quizzing the other end.

"Not burnt, because I bought it." Rinoa sounding hurt form the harsh check.

Squall lets out a breath he was holding and says "Sorry Rin, I had to do that. Your voice is coming out from the thing we just fought corps, I had to do it to make sure you were you. Now that I know that it's you I'm happy. Are you good?"

"Yes, I'm good. I found some new friends over here, one of witch Seifer might want to talk to." Rinoa looking to Cloud.

"Who?" Seifer now starting to wonder.

Cloud looks to Rinoa not wanting to believe what she was implying was real.

She nods her head and signals Shera to walk with her over to Cloud.

"I never said who left the pack in the city because we wanted you to see it for yourself, but it was your dad, Seifer." Rinoa now sitting next to Cloud who was being hugged by Tifa to calm his shocked nerves.

"Your dad?" Seifer muttering to himself, head pops up suddenly and then he shouts, "Cloudy!"

"Dad?" Cloud to the intercom.

It took a few years, and the way it happened changed a hell of a lot from what I first had in mind back in the original (Cloud had been taken as a hostage to keep Seifer in check, but he escaped and found him with some help), but they finally got to be with each other again. As for the next chapter see the bird lady bits for your clues. Thanks for reading and as always review.


	16. Time Goes By

Time Goes By

Sorry for the wait, I was a little burned out from finals and final projects.

Disclaimer: See first Chapter.

Seifer and Cloud get to physically meet and greet, and the little bomb shell of who the Bird Themed Lady is also happens.

"Dad? How?" Cloud trembling thinking of the past.

Time and location: a few days after Seifer and Remmey disappeared Jack and Iris are at Remmys den.

"No Seifer and no Remmey, and only some scorch marks near their last battle against some dragons." Iris as she goes over what she was shown and told by Jack.

"Flash, had to of gotten them it's the only thing that I can think of." Jack as he looks down and punches the mountain wall to his right in disgust.

Iris mills over her options and says "Wait," Jack looks to Iris, "I'll wait here for him with Cloud, that way when another flash comes he will know where to look for us. The house is paid off, and I have a few mastered materia that I can sell over time to keep us fed and clothed."

"Iris, what if he never comes back? Even he didn't know how those things worked." Jack knowing that the chances for Seifer and Remmey coming back were slim to none.

"I'm staying." Iris as she starts to head back to town.

"What will you tell him?" Jack thinking of Cloud.

"He's out looking for something important that will help us at home." Iris hoping that that will buy her some more time till she could think of something better to tell Cloud.

Jack shakes his head sadly and follows her back to town.

A few days later Cloud asks, "Mamma where's Papa, and Rem?" Cloud as he looks to his mother as she looks to the mountain.

"Out Cloud, they're out and looking for something for us." Iris as she tries to not cry at her husbands and Remmeys disappearance then thinks, "Seifer find another flash."

"When will they be back, it's been a while?" Cloud trying once more to get some information on Seifer and Remmey.

"When they find what they are looking for, and when they do they will bring it back for all of us to share." Iris as she ruffles Clouds hair and then traces her hand down to his nose lightly tapping it to make him giggle.

Time and location: now and at Cids living room.

Cloud now understanding what his mother meant all those years ago when she said he was out says, "You never left us by choice did you." Cloud as he thinks of some of the taunts he received as a the "unwanted kid" by some of the other children, and the looks that he and Iris would get form some of the adults.

"Never, what gave you that idea?" Seifer now getting a little upset a the hurt in Clouds voice.

"It's just," Cloud shakes his head and then looks back to the gate, "its been a while."

"How long?" Seifer really not liking the idea that was forming in the back of his mind.

"Years, I'm 22 now." Cloud to the communicator as tears slowly started to fall.

"22?" Sefer chokes then growls in a low and inhuman way as he starts to morph deadly jagged claws on his hands as he slowly gets ready to cast life just so he could kill Waya again.

"Down now little drift." Bird Themed Lady coming from Squalls office causing Seifer to stop cold at those words, and causing the others in the room to look to her. "Now that I have all of your attention I think a size change, and a change of scenery are in order, Mini (cast on Remmey) and Gate Activate."

Location: Cids living room.

FLASH

"Much better, don't ya think." As the Bird Themed Lady appears then goes to sit by Cid at the far wall of the living room.

"Squall!" Rinoa going to and helping him get up with LZs help.

"Rinoa?" Squall shakes his head, "Rinoa!" as he hugs her and then kisses her.

"A little help here too?" Irvine as he was now under an unconscious Seifer with all of his gear.

"Raahh!" as Remmey bites on Seifers ear hoping to wake him.

"I got him." Zell as he lifts Seifer off of Irvine. "Damn, he's heavier then he looks." As both he and the now freed Irvine prop him up to a sitting position against the wall next to them. Once done, they start to look around, only to come face to face with a familiar looking blond man in night cloths holding Remmey, who was happily chewing and licking the right hand and arm that was holding him.

"Dad?" Cloud at seeing how young his father looked lifts his free hand to brush Seifers face and hair a little not believing his eyes.

"Cloud?" Irvine looking at the adult Cloud seeing the similarities from the man and the photo.

"Yes." Cloud wondering who the teen was.

"You're the bigger one now in this photo." Irvine trying to process that he was on another world and in the "future".

"Photo?" Cloud looking back to Irvine now taking his hand off of his father.

"Yeah, he's going to have to change it. Though I don't see how they will still fit under his coat without magic." Zell now that he was beginning to process that the "kid" was now older then himself.

"Son of a, for once could I not feel like I wasn't just used as some damned demented piñata by a bunch high level GFs itching for a sugar fix when that happens." Seifer as he brings his hands up to rub his head to help relieve his headache form the Gate. Slowly as he starts to open his eyes, letting them adjust to the light, he focuses on his son and partner. "Cloud, Remmey" as he grabs the two into a bone crushing hug.

After a few minuets the Bird Themed Lady goes to them and says, " Drift you need to let go now I need to tell you all a few things."

"Drift?" Squall wondering about the nickname she was using on Seifer.

"Old nickname from before, like Shadows." As Seifer nods to the Bird Themed Lady not wanting to give-a-way her identity.

Later once everyone was seated and introduced Shadow gets their attention and says, "Everyone ready?" Nods and yeses where heard all around. "Now before I start to talk to you all about what is going on could you all promise not to interrupt, or attack me, till I am done?" Nods and yeses were said from them all again. "Good," takes the mask off and lets the coat drop to show her face and the two small gray wings on her back.

"Ultimecia!?" Zell as all of the SeeDs stand and start to ready for battle only to be swiftly bound by several tentacles that had come out of Seifers back.

"Continue Shadow." Seifer focusing on her to avoid the shocked looks form his adaptation by most of the others in the room.

"The Lunar Tree War that started over three thousand years ago on Gaias' Moon, is starting once more. The Moon Children (a mixed group of members of the four Lunar Tribes) were fighting the mad Star Guardian Force Baron who was trying to use the Ether Stream to get the power of all the other Guardian Forces both on the Moon and on Gaia by killing them. In doing this he was trying to bring back his wife Felicia, the previous Guardian Force of the Moon. After five years with no end in sight, the remaining members of the Moon Children and those who were left of the Lunar Tribes were able to open a time rift, and stick the now sealed Baron in with his generals." Looks around and sees the confused looks in the room and says, "Any questions so far?"

"Mum-mmufff-mu." Squall looking to her.

"Drift could un-gage him, please." Shadow to Seifer getting him to unwind the top part of the tentacle that was keeping Squalls mouth shut.

"What tribes? When I was up in space all I saw on the moon were the monsters." Squall to Shadow not noticing Cid perk up at his mention of space travel.

"They were able to seal them, but the cost was their tribes and much of the Moons power. Before the war the Moon was not the monster pit that it is now. True it was no vacation spot ether, with its mostly dessert like climate, and only the occasional oasis and forest spotted here and there, but it was a home for many who could live no where else." Shadow thinking about the moon pre-war as she had possessed one of the Animal Tribe for a while.

"How dose something that happened so long ago, and over there, come to be something that now seems to involve two worlds?" Tifa voicing what was on most of there minds.

"That was the next part, and Drift you may want to re-gage Squall again for this." Seifers tentacle slithers back up to re-wrap Squalls mouth once more. Shadow nodding says, "After they were sealed, the generals stated to look for ways to get out, but as it turns out a way found them, Time-Compression." Shadow looking to the SeeDs.

"MUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!" in some form of another was sounded by the SeeDs as they renewed their efforts to escape.

"Knock it off it wasn't me the first time, and it was later then now. About several hundred years form now some idiot in Esthar decided it would be fun to mess with time magic and created a small time ripple. Waya and Liza were able to use that moment get them all out. Once out, they killed the moron and took over his lab with Esthar falling soon after that. With that done they went out for the Guardians Forces and the recovered Ether Stream. Having finished that, they tried to use the power to free and restore Baron, but were unable to as the seal couldn't be broken when power from either: Gaia, Moon, or the Ether Stream was used. Now this is where Planet and the gates come in. The gates were an odd attempt to get out of time prison that failed, but were found to be very effective once out. After a few bugs were worked out, they were able to use them to look for other worlds that had the energy they needed. Soon after Planet and the Life Stream were found. The Old Man still, it, damn how dose one describe that." Shadow shaking her head and clutching her fists at her own memories of that time. Then stops, as she looks up as Seifer hugs her as Seifer knew that this was around the time that he was Knighted by her.

"Thanks, Drift I think I got it now." As she takes a few unsteady breaths and starts once more.

"We won, if you want to call it that. With two shattered and dieing worlds and no hope for a future on both I, and with a few others, wondered if it was possible to use my abilities to change the past to get a future. It's working so far, but the cost has been high. The future, my future, never happened, causing me to be trapped into my crazy "future if we win" self. Thankfully you all were able to defeat her and free me so I could come back with you to help out now." Shadow looking to the others to see if they understood her.

"Ya said future if we win self, what was that all about?" Cid not missing that phrasing.

"The future isn't set, it's always in flux. True at that time a future where we won happened, but as it is now that future is now only being created, so it still could change." Sees Cids confused look, "Look it comes down to if we don't win their will be not future to mess with the past, but what future we make will come from what we do now in the past. So if want a future that will be able to mess with us in the past we need to win." Shadow looking around and seeing the looks from the others as they were starting to get it.

"It's too late for this kind of shit." As Cid rubs his head as all of what was said sinks in.

"Drift I think you can let them go now." Shadow as she nods to the now quiet SeeDs.

Seifer retracts the tentacles from them and Cloud gives him an odd look, hoping he would explain.

"A while ago, for me, I thought I found Shadow again. But it turns out I was wrong, my adaptation is from that." Seifer as he starts to go into what his adaptation was to the others that didn't know what it was.

"Drift and Shadow." Irvine to Shadow as he knew about Seifers adaptation.

"Drift came from the driftwood sword I made for him before I Knighted him." Irvine nods at this as there was always driftwood on the beach back at the orphanage. "Shadow came from my nature, in that, we could only be together at night, or in the time of shadows." Shadow then looks around the room and sees the tired looks and that Seifer was almost done with his explnation and says, "It's late, and I think it would be better if we get some rest while we can." As she starts to think of some of the things that were to come.

Agreement was met and sleeping places were arranged after with little protest. SeeDs with LZ in the living room taking the: couch, some sleeping bags, and one cot. Seifer out back with Remmey and Shadow in a tent as Remmey couldn't stay in the house.

It's a bit of an information over load, but I figured it was the fastest way to get out the how's and whys that I have been leaving out. Also if you are wondering why LZ didn't try to free Rinoa he could tell Seifer intended no harm to her, just containment. Next chapter Reeve, Vincent, and a certain Turk or two will come into play along with Seifer finding out what happened to Iris. Lastly here is a list of the Moon Tribes.

Winged: Known to vary in size but come in three types. The most common type is that of a bird winged human like shaped child raging in feather coloration form solid to speckles. With crystal like wings and a more monster shaped are the Nymph. Though fuzzy and scales also happen with Nymphs they are less common, and are viewed with great interest. Very rare are the Element Wings that make-up the last group. When not active their wings only look like little nubs, but when active, and in their proper element, they can be devastating both in power and in their ability to blend in with their element.

Animal: As the name implies this tribe takes on the characteristics of their given animal. Most chose to look like a human animal hybrids, but they have the ability to go all one way (human like) or the other (animal).

Hunters: Like the animals, but more wild, in that instead of animals they are a lined with monsters. Hunters are the smallest of the four tribes. This is balanced out though with their power and control over not only their own inner beast, but with their ability to also control other monster of the same class.

Ones: Ones, unlike the previous three tribes, are different in that they don't have any one power or any other physical means of attaining power other then from who or what is in their general area. Meaning they have to get in sync with their surroundings in order to do anything outside that of a normal person. This can have its ups and downs. Downs in that if they are not well a lined to the environment they are in they will have a hard time getting anything done. Ups in that if they know the area, and are well suited to the area, they are almost unstoppable, and near imposable to find if they chose to be hidden.


	17. Promise Kept

Promise Kept

Liza wants a little payback for her sisters death, to bad no one told a certain Turk.

Time and location: morning after the last chapter in the guest bedroom.

"You smell that?" Cloud to Tifa as he turns to the window as the smell of barbequed meat comes in.

"Muh." As Tifa rubs the sleep out of her eyes as she turns to Cloud and takes a sniff. Smelling the food as well she says, "Yeah. I wonder who made it?" as she then gets up and goes to the open window only to say, "Cloud come here." With a smile on her face.

Curious, he goes over to the window and then smiles at the sight. Seifer had, at sometime in the night, gone out and hunted down a few dragons for everyone's breakfast. The first one Remmey was eating, with the second one over a pit slowly being turned on an improved grill made of some of Cids odds and ends that were in the back. The third was covered by a mound of earth with some smoke coming out from a few holes placed in to let the smoke out and to let some air in to keep the earthen oven going. The last of them seemed to of had Mini cast on them before Seifer had cut and strung them out on a line around some small fires in order to dry the meat.

"Ya know, I should be ticked that you used a perfectly good piece of stock for a skewer, but what ya used it for beats the hell out the cereal I was going to have, so I'll look over it just this once." Cid coming out to the backyard with two cups of coffee and offering Seifer one and then looks around for Shadow to give her the other one.

"Thanks, and she's out checking some of the information from Wayas lab." As Seifer takes the mug and answers Cids unspoken question.

"Ya two don't slow down much, do you." Cid as he looks around the transformed backyard.

"No, though I think with her it comes from what she knows, and for me what I have become." Seifer moving to go back over to the pit to check the dragon. "It should be done in the next fifteen."

"How?" as Cid points to the food wondering how he could have missed the noise of all of this.

"You'd be amazed at what you can do with a few well placed: sleeps, silences, haste, and a drawn triple or two." Seifer as he smiles at Cid.

"The Turks would love you." Cid smiling at Seifer.

"Orphan, friend, student, spy, enemy, ex-knight, half weapon, teacher, lover, husband, father, but that ones new. What's a Turk?" Seifer clearing some space on the old picnic table that was back there.

"A bunch of yahoos we met a while back. " Cid as he starts to help Seifer move a few things off the picnic table in back, making some room for the food.

"Please say that's breakfast." As Zell goes over to the dragon on the grill.

"It will be if you don't screw with it, and help us over here." Seifer rounding up the others who are now coming into the backyard to help setup breakfast.

Once the area was clean and the places set, food from the grill was handed out. Rinoa noticed something.

"Seifer, are you eating with us?" As he had yet to take any of the dragon, and had only nursed his coffee.

"I am, but mine still needs a few more minuets." Seifer poking at the earth oven on his way over to the mini dragons.

"That's not lunch?" Rinoa looking over to the buried dragon.

"Nope." Seeing that the mini dragons were done, he starts to store them into one of the pouches on his belt.

"Remind me never to treat you out." LZ smiling and shaking his head as he joins the conversation.

"Funny." Seifer as he goes back to the mound rolls up his sleeve and shifts an arm to three times its normal size with: brown scales, blunt claws, and webbed digests to help him dig out the dragon. With a few quick sweeps the earth is cleared exposing a dragon rapped in burned grass and leafs. The next sweep takes the dragon out of the pit and flings it high into the air. Seifer then leaps up after the dragon, planning to shrink it and eat it in one bite only to disappear with it leaving a confused Reeve and Tseng in their place.

Location and time: Midgar about five minuets driving from the Plaza Reeve and Tseng are going home with each one mentally going over their respective days and their earlier call with Vincent.

"Tseng, do you want to go with the Reno and Rude?" Reeve wondering if Tseng might want to go over to Rocket Town so he could talk to Cloud.

"Wasn't it you intention to bring him here?" Tseng curious to the change in plans.

"I can always give you the information, and its not like you couldn't call me if needed. You, Jack, and Vincent are the three that could help him out the best, not someone who only read a few files." Reeve deciding to change the plan to that.

"Sir I…."

BANG (gunfire)

SWISH

SNAP, SWALLOW (Seifer getting and swallowing his food)

TAP (Seifer landing on the top of the car that Tseng and Reeve were just in, and doing a mental "the hell" as to how he got there.)

BANG

"AHHH!" Seifer as a bullet goes through his left arm.

"Aunty will be so happy now." Unknown man hidden in the shadows as he smiles at Seifer.

"Who?" as Seifer jumps off the car and downs a potion as he weaves his way though the thinning crowd.

"Aunty Liza. She helped us get Mother, and promised to find Loz for us." Man in the upper shadows of one of the buildings as he changes his position.

"Loz is good and safe its you that he's looking for." Seifer wondering witch of the brothers was out there.

"Liar." as Yazoo comes out of the shadows. "Aunty will find him just like she found you and the other one."

"Other one?" Seifer starting to discreetly cast scan on Yazoo.

"The one that is in Wayas lab now." Yazoo then jumps down and levels his Velvet Nightmare at him and then fires off another shot this time point blank.

BANG

Seifers head jerks back with the impact, but as he starts to go down he kicks out with his right leg taking Yazoo by surprise. This gives Seifer time to roll to the side and morph his hands into battle ready claws as he gets up into a ready position.

"How? As Yazoo jumps back giving him some distance from Seifer.

"Half-Weapon, bones can be hardened to diamond levels." Seifer as he starts to charge Yazoo showing the black bone that was exposed under the torn skin that was morphing together. "And for this "Aunty" of yours finding Loz, (Seifer in Lozes voice) she needs a little work."

"Loz, no you can't be." Yazoo shakes his head as he breaks off the sentence then fires off a few shots in Seifers direction.

Seifer doges them and then starts to ready a thunder 3 at the reloading Yazoo hoping that the shock would mess with the implant that the scan showed. Scan results: Name Yazoo, Level 47, Physical Status Good, Mental Status Controlled, Threat Level High.

ZAP

The spell hits causing Yazoo to stager back, leaving him open for Seifer to follow up with another. Just as he was reading his third Yazoos left had jerks up and shoots wild causing Seifer to dismiss his spell so he could save one of the retreating people by taking the shots.

Time and Location: Just after Reeve and Tseng make it to Cids.

"Reeve, Tseng? How in the hell?" Cid looking at the two men who were just as confused as he were as to how they got there.

"It's not….how……isn't he….." as Tseng tries to process that he had just traded places with someone he assumed was dead. "Seifer."

"Where is my father Tseng?" Cloud coming up to the confused Tseng.

Reeve, giving some time to the confused Turk, answers, "We were going home form the Plaza when there was a "bang" sound, then there was this flash taking us here."

"No, the gun fire was real, but it wasn't a Flash. It was a Switch, Seifer is back." Tseng then looks to Cloud and shows the gun and charms while saying, "Seifer gave me these to protect those I cared about, though it looks like they were also to protect me and another. I will give them to you, but for now I need them to Return and protect someone I care for." Tseng looks around and sees Seifers gunblade and takes it.

"Switch, Return?" LZ recognizing the names, but not able to place from where.

"RETURN ME TO THE ONE YOU ARE FROM." Tseng as he disappears in a green Swish.

"Aerith." LZ now remembering where he heard it. "She once said that the Ancients could travel the life stream to meet with others who held a piece of their being."

"Tseng did say Seifer gave him the charm and gun, and there was some strong evidence that he spent time in the City of Ancient." Reeve thinking over the files and of Vincents information.

"Reeve?" Cloud wondering as to what Reeve knew.

Reeve taking the hint answers "Well, Cid remember when I called you a few days ago."

Location and Time: Back to the battle with Yazoo and Seifer just after Seifer has taken the shots.

"Go." To the woman he just saved then leaps back to avoid taking more shots as he goes to take care of Yazoo.

Yazoo, not missing the fact that Seifer will protect the fleeing people, Gates in several Ruby Dragons to help.

Seifer, taking the bate, goes after the dragons leaving himself open for Yazoos shots.

Seifer thinking, "Crap, there are too many people around. If I start to cut lose they're dead, and if I don't, I'm dead. Half Weapon I may be, but immortal I'm not."

BANG, BANG

"AHHHAH." Seifer as the shots hit his left thy and knee causing him to go down and opening himself up for the dragon to bite his shoulder and whip him into the neighboring building. Yazoo pressing the advantage jumps down to shoot Seifer in the stomach.

BANG

Yazoo stagers to the side and clutches his left hand and looks to the side to see Tseng, with Seifers gunblade on his back, shoot the dragon in the head killing it before turning it back to him as he retreats to the side taking cover behind a dumpster in a ally.

Tseng takes Seifers gunblade and casts Cure Three on Seifer. Once done he drops his gunblade to him before heading in Yazoos direction.

Quick note into what Switch and Return are, and why Seifer wasn't KO like he with the Gates.

Switch and Return are sort of a play on the Life Stream, in that all life on Planet comes from processed Life Stream. So, what if you were able to un-process (Switch) to the basic Life Stream and move within it to where you needed or wanted to be. This is where (Return) comes in. Those within the Life Stream normally lose their "self", so a part of themselves is left outside with another to keep their "self" safe. This is also where the "protect who you care about" comes in. Meaning each person holds a section of the others life force, and each is responsible for the others safety when switched.

Now for the non-KO Seifer you need to keep two things in mind. One: the gates are not by any means a natural form of transportation, and given Seifers heightened abilities, any time he is gated it plays hell with his system. Two: Switch and Return are a more natural (when trained properly) means of movement and transportation causing this more natural switch of forms to not play hell with his system.

Lastly, sorry I didn't get to Iris or the other Turks like I promised last chapter. The Yazoo fight took on a life of its own. That said I hope you all liked this chapter, and as always please read and review.


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